With 2015 now being upon us, many holiday go-ers and traveller fanatics are looking forward to booking their next trip away. But where are the hottest locations to live it up this year? Here are 10 great examples of where to head:

Chile

Heralded as the driest desert in the world, Chile’s Atacama plains are a great place to go and take in some natural wonders. The land is plotted with salt flats and geysers, and even gets the occasional downfall of snow!

Iceland

If you are a fan of the outdoors and adventure, then look no further than Iceland. Offering activities for all of the seasons, you can take a trip snorkelling in the country’s clear lakes in the summer or enjoy the snowy conditions from the warmth of a hot tub.

(Main article image: rural church in south-west Iceland)

Morocco

With the country’s tourism industry booming in recent years, Morocco has become a hotspot for travellers. Visitors can enjoy the sandy beaches of the coastline or take a trip around the famed Marrakesh markets and get yourself a classic Moroccan fez!

Cuba

Offering culture and fantastic beaches, Cuba has something to keep everybody happy. The country has an ‘old partnered with new’ attitude, so you can take a trip through the country’s history by visiting the buildings from by-gone eras.

Serbia

A bustling street in Belgrade, the Serbian capital

You may not think Serbia is the best location to enjoy a trip away, but you would be very wrong. Belgrade is renowned for one of the hidden gems of Europe and is highly underrated for its culture and character.

Macau

Over recent years, Macau has become one of the World’s main destinations for entertainment and culture. The country has seen a huge boom in tourism thanks to its casino industry attracting people who play online casino at sites such as iPhoneCasino.ca, but it also has a much more tranquil side, with temples and ancient ruins on offer to visitors as well.

Britain

Eilean Donan Castle in the stunning Scottish Highlands

Although it doesn’t have the most tropical of climates, there is plenty happening for tourists to get involved with in Britain this year. Scotland are celebrating the Highland Games’ 200th birthday this year and 2015 marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta being sealed, with both throwing events to mark the occasions.

New Zealand

New Zealand’s tourism trade has always been popular, with travellers visit the country to take in some of the most picturesque pieces of scenery in the world. To get more involved in the inner city vibe, the likes of Auckland and Wellington are also popular with tourists.

Turkey

2014 saw Turkey named as one of the most popular tourist destination and the country hopes this will continue on into the New Year. Turkey offers the best of both worlds – the sunny beaches and hotel resorts and the bustling markets of Istanbul.

Singapore

Singapore is celebrating 50 years of independence from Malaysia in 2015, so expect there to be a lot of partying! The country is to host the South East Asian games in June, before they celebrate their national day with parades throughout August.

As mentioned in our article about Rannoch Moor, whether you arrive at this wonderfully secluded spot via the legendary train station, just about midway on the West Highland Railway as it snakes its route from Glasgow to Fort William, or indeed by car, along the B846 through the village of Kinloch Rannoch, a road whose path must be followed until the very end in order to reach this beautifully desolate spot, you will find upon that arrival but one hostelry at which to lay your head.

That this auspicious place is just about as good as it could be, is welcome news to the weary, if excited, traveller. Stealing up by car, one cannot possibly stand in the shoes of the intrepid rail traveller who, disembarking at the quaintly picturesque station aforementioned, would be a hard nut to crack indeed if he, or she, or they, did not feel some trepidation and wonder at just how, and why, one could fetch up at such a wild, if exhilarating, locale, and putting to themselves the question as to whether there might have been some trace of madness in ancestry which, as these things are sometimes wont to do, had made a sudden and successful bid to resurface and be reasoned with.

Any such doubts however, by whichever track one eventually arrives, are completely banished by the warm welcome of Scott and Steph, your hosts at the prestigious Moor of Rannoch Hotel.

This grand little establishment is as pleasing to the countenance as the very breath of fresh air one seeks by first determining to repair to such a spot, with its charming and comfortable en-suite rooms, all individually styled, right down to the cosily inviting lounge bar and superb restaurant.

From Steph’s mouthwatering breakfast offerings, including, of course, the full Scottish if you’re up to it (and our advice would be to see that you are, at least once during your stay) to the perfectly balanced dinner menu, conjuring the very best home-cooked dishes, prepared using fresh, locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients, to absolute perfection, one could entertain not the remotest possibility of going hungry for the merest instant.

No wifi, mobile or TV signal is the supreme enhancement of your stay, causing you to partake of that wonderful, enforced rest and relaxation time, where you can just shrug your shoulders at those demanding constant contact with you, and say, in a feign, wistful manner, “what could I do?”

You might think that such a blissful sojourn would come at a premium, but not a bit of it. The rates at the hotel are surprisingly competitive, and the dinner menu just £29 for three courses, or £23 for two. Non residents are welcome for dinner, but booking is absolutely essential.

Remember, heading to the Moor of Rannoch is a long journey by road. Make sure your car is well prepared (especially if you’re travelling in the winter), and pay particular attention to the tyres. Websites such as Tyre-Shopper.co.uk and National.co.uk make it easy for you to find the right tyres for your vehicle.

So, in summary, this is one of those little indulgences every soul needs to sink deep into every now and then; when the world gets a little too much, and you need to get far from that ever madding crowd, seek out this unspoilt corner of Heaven, and plan your retreat to the majestic Moor of Rannoch.

Moor of Rannoch Hotel
Rannoch Station
Perthshire
Scotland
PH17 2QA

Visit www.moorofrannoch.co.uk

Tel.: +44 (0)1882 633 238

Email info@moorofrannoch.co.uk

It is the long held desire of many a mere mortal to find a place of absolute solitude; a quiet spot where one can truly leave behind all the cares and woes of everyday life. The human condition, however, romanticises such a circumstance beyond the true desire of most of us, and what we really seek is a quiet, stress free hidey-hole to which we can repair for a few days, usually by car or some other modern conveyance, with a significant other or like minded friend.

Such a situation awaits deep in the Moor of Rannoch, a boggy moorland west of Loch Rannoch in Scotland occupying some 50 square miles. This breathtakingly beautiful part of the world, which extends into Perth and Kinross, Lochaber in Highland, and northern Argyll and Bute, is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation.

Notable for its wildlife, Rannoch is particularly famous for being the sole British location of the Rannoch-rush, which is actually named after the moor.

Approachable by car – although if undertaking this extremely pleasant journey under your own steam in this way, do make sure you fill up with fuel at Pitlochry if coming in from the south, as there’s no other repository for such a necessity within a 40 mile radius of Rannoch, leading many a hapless motorist to come a cropper – true hermits tend to approach by train, pulling into the fabled Rannoch Station with great anticipation.

The West Highland Railway runs straight through this station, on its journey from Glasgow to Fort William and, rising to over 1300 feet above sea level and covering over 23 miles of moorland, is considered the most scenic railway in Britain, being served also by the famous Caledonian Sleeper from London Euston. When the line was built, the peat deposits for which the moor is famous presented a major problem to the engineers, and their ingenious solution was to float the track on a bed of tree roots, brushwood and thousands of tons of earth and ashes.

Once you’ve set foot on this legendary rugged moorland terrain, you’ll find something of the remoteness you seek, and with just one hotel presenting itself for your accommodation considerations, it’s a fortuitous circumstance that the establishment is one propitious to a more than happy stay.

The only other house of refreshment is a very part time station tea room, whose trading-time brevity seemed to us a pity, given the wonderful location and aesthetically pleasing structure of this quaint little café. However, from our arrival on Friday evening right up to our departure on Monday lunchtime, we never once witnessed this hostelry open for business, although local rumour has it that it does come to life for a few hours on some days. Pot luck, I guess, but a situation that does not go down exceedingly well with cyclists – some in family groups – who have pedalled earnestly upwards of 17 miles in response to a road sign advertising the said establishment; just a word of warning.

A few days battened down here will inform even the most obdurate stress head that life can be savoured; enjoyed; taken easy; relaxed into, and the fact that there is no mobile phone or TV signal or broadband connection is surely the perfect excuse to duck your head deep below the parapet for a brief sojourn, and truly experience a calmer pace of life which, in the hustle and bustle of our modern existence, has lamentably been left well and truly behind.

Nige Burton remembers fondly the great days of Virgin Trains on the good old West Coast mainline

I love traveling on trains. In my many years of global adventures, some of my most memorable have involved railways. After a wonderful trip from Kiev to Yalta on Ukrainian overnight trains, I started to explore similar journeys in Russia, eventually braving the TransSiberian/TransMongolian from Moscow to Beijing. I adored every minute of it, from lazing in my cabin, reading or listening to music while taking ‘enforced rest’, to meandering along to the bar or restaurant car, exchanging pleasantries with the indigenous.

These agreeable experiences, coupled with a latent fear of flying, led me to experiment further, resulting in a pan-European odyssey commencing in London and winding up in Romania some eight countries later. And all within two and a half weeks.

Now this may sound very romantic, especially the bit where I got to wine and dine whilst whistling past a setting sun in the Transylvanian Alps, and so far removed from traveling on the Virgin West Coast line as to defy comparison. But the simple fact is that all this European wayfaring involves taking the Eurostar to either Paris or Brussels, and that means nothing wonderful could ever have really happened without my trusty Virgin Pendolino whisking me from Lancashire to Euston. And I’m not talking first class – most of my journeys were undertaken in standard, with the yummy offering of the buffet car being part of the staple; good honest grub at a fairly reasonable price, served at least by a character if not always with a smile. But, mostly, actually with the smile. Add to that the comfy seats, toilets that don’t aggravate my claustrophobia and comparatively rapid journey times, and it seems apparent to me that we have taken Mr Branson’s necessarily gradual improvements very much for granted these days – it’s a bit like not noticing your kids grow up because you’re there every day. If we look back at UK rail travel fifteen years ago, the present, much maligned, Virgin service is fantastic. Ok, it may not be perfect, but what is? And we’d all soon be very bored in a perfect world, I’m sure.

So when I heard that Virgin were losing the franchise, I shed a very real tear. These trains and their staff have been woven indelibly into my nomadic tapestry, they are the starting point of all my peripatetic magic. I shudder with every fibre of my being at the thought of losing this very important part of my life; my experience of FirstGroup to date only fills me with a toothachey dread. I’ve grown very accustomed to that comforting red and all that it means to me: the quality, the fun, the value (most of the time) and – yes, I’m going to say it – the reliability.

In a message to customers, Branson says “I would like to thank you personally for all your valuable support in the last 15 (years) as we prepare to say goodbye to Britain’s best-known train company, Virgin Trains.”

Well, if you’re listening Sir Richard, I’d just like to say the feeling’s mutual.

Booking a trip in the British Isles makes for a rewarding treat

When you get bitten good and hard by the intrepid international globe-trotting bug, there’s a danger that you dismiss a huge avenue of adventure that abounds with excitement and promise; namely, the discovery of good old Britannia. That we travelling Brits tend to take our own back yard rather for granted, and never see it as the same garden of paradise that foreigners do, is something of a crying shame. There are many jewels in the United Kingdom’s crown, and to dismiss them for the thrill of more exotic locations and climes is to cheat yourself out of some real magic.

Let’s take city breaks for a start. Availing yourself of the many delights of our wonderful capital, or indeed one of the other fine cities Great Britain has to offer, will open your eyes to a plethora of art, culture and architecture just waiting to be stumbled across. You could start with the main candidates such as York, Edinburgh, Durham, Manchester or Birmingham, but it can be immense fun picking out some of the less-visited examples like Sheffield, Brighton, Cambridge, Lancaster, Exeter, Chester… the list isn’t endless, but it will keep you going for quite a while.

And when you’re done with cities, start ploughing your way through our fantastic collection of towns and villages – if you haven’t a clue where to start, just decide how far you want to travel and literally stick a pin in the map.

If you don’t fancy driving, why not consider the train, bus or coach – try to see even the most mundane forms of transport as a passport to adventure, and always take your camera and a notebook to keep a record of your trip.

Book journeys well enough in advance and it won’t cost a fortune either, and when booking accommodation, your online world is pretty much your oyster. Whether you’re after a humble guest house or something offering a bit more luxury, you can bag some amazing hotel deals from some of the leading chains, especially at weekends. Don’t just rely on sites like Booking.com either – make a note of all the good UK hotel operators and get into the habit of searching their own websites too; there’s many a good deal to be had as they all compete for your lucrative business.

And a fantastic time to start your little odyssey is in the run up to Christmas – why not be adventurous and do your Christmas shopping out of town? Your gifts will be different and you get to have a mini-holiday too.

Post Christmas is also great for an indulgent little treat. The bright lights of the festive season are over, and the long, dark days of January can easily fall flat and lacklustre. Book your early new year break now and you’ll be surprised how it bucks you up, sustaining you throughout the stress of Christmas, and giving you something special to look forward to after you’ve returned to work.

Of course, it doesn’t mean you’re never going to go abroad again, but it will hopefully enable you to appreciate some of the finer points our beautiful little group of islands has to offer.

Dornie is the perfect base for the Isle of Skye

I’m not sure I could get through a year without my annual pilgrimage to the western Highlands of Scotland. What started out as a trip to find my grandfather’s final resting place on the Isle of Skye some twelve years ago – a journey made regularly with my beloved Uncle Heccy – has become a yearly pleasure I look forward to with the anticipation of a child on Christmas Eve.

The 360-mile journey to Dornie, which I always make my base, is nothing short of arduous and takes me the best part of a day from Fleetwood in Lancashire. This matters not; I’m always so excited, and the lunch stop at our special cafe on the banks of Loch Lomond serves as the gateway to a breath-takingly beautiful journey from that moment on.

Despite the extremely enjoyable drive up, I’m always glad when I finally pull into the car park at the wonderful Dornie Hotel; that last sixty or so miles can be heavy going. The traditional Highland welcome extended by hotel proprietors Paul and Suzanne Meikle is second to none, with rooms comfortable and cosy and an outstanding restaurant (serving the best haggis I’ve ever tasted). All this combines to make me realise every time just why I keep on coming back to this place. I wouldn’t entertain staying anywhere else – especially at the price. Whenever I get my bill, I’m always quietly running through it in my head as it never seems to be enough – not that I’m complaining in any way, shape or form. I always feel so ‘looked-after’; without doubt, this establishment is a vital part of my stay each time I visit.

The village of Dornie itself is quite the most wonderful place on earth, its pretty coloured houses overlooking picturesque Loch Duich (in fact, Dornie is situated at the meeting point of Loch Duich, Loch Alsh and Loch Long) and the majestic highland peaks surrounding it on all sides.

I discovered Dornie quite by accident; my uncle – Rev. Hector Lee SSM – had an arrangement with the Anglican Church whereby he could have cheap accommodation in a variety of locations throughout the UK in exchange for being the resident Sunday preacher at the local church. This was the happy circumstance which led us first to Dornie, and the quaint little caravan which overlooked the village and its neighbour Bundaloch from the far side of the Loch Duich. This in turn led to the discovery of the tiny yet delightful church at Nostie, and all the wonderful local people who formed its congregation, especially the wonderful and inspirational Penny Roome, God rest her soul.

Dornie, it turned out, was an ideal location from which to visit Skye itself, being just nine miles south of the famous Skye bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh. It’s also perfect for exploring nearby Plockton, with its famous tropical palm trees (thanks to the prevailing Gulf Stream), Duirinish (or Diurinish, depending on which sign you take to be accurate), the beautiful and often photographed Eilean Donan Castle and the breathtaking Glenelg Bay, the short journey to which is a sublime and wonderful experience in itself.