Top 4 Offbeat Things to do in Scotland

[Quarries Village - Dumfries - Ayrshire(South West Scotland)]

If your flight has arrived Glasgow and you have almost been everywhere around the city and would like to venture out more, check out the top 4 things you would love to discover just 1 hour 30 minutes away in Dumfries and Galloway that will give you more insight in Scottish culture and adventure and the remaining 3 more things in subsequent posts.

For those who haven't discovered Glasgow and Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland, I'll soon come up with a post on how to do it on your own and on a budget.

The wonderful trip around Scotland was sponsored by VisitScotland,the official tourism board of Scotland.Visit their website for more details.

Scotland All Posts - Link Back : 
A Warm Hi From Scotland
UK Visas,Luggage,Flights


                                      Making my own ice-cream at Cream O' Galloway, Scotland

Wohooo we are now heading to South West of Scotland!Are you guys excited? This is the road we took to arrive in Dumfries and Galloway.



Let's get to know Scotland BETTER

There are two seasons in Scotland: June and Winter - Billy Connolly

"True.Scotland is cold in its own way,Sunny sometimes but cold,rainy sometimes but cold,so guys Scotland is cold.Take your jackets and your umbrella or just a plain raincoat.It also rains quite often here."

The thing I miss the most about Scotland is the football - Robert Carlyle 

"Sport plays a central role in Scottish culture. The temperate, oceanic climate has played a key part in the evolution of sport in Scotland, with all-weather sports like association football, rugby union and golf dominating the national sporting consciousness.The 2014 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow,so get your tickets guys to Scotland,you'd love the place and the crowd".To know more about Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth games and registration Click here: Glasgow 2014

Scotland is the Canada of England! - Rainn Wilson 

"Aha the natural beauty around would take you to back to the dreamy world of countryside and broad roads.You wouldn't want to leave because its so beautiful.Whether its the greenery or the road alongside the coast or the food or the fresh air,Scotland will mesmerize you with simple honest people and great ambiance"

A glass of whisky in Scotland in the thirties cost less than a cup of tea. - Catherine Helen Spence

"One more reason to arrive in Scotland.Whiskeys!"

We'll discuss some more in the upcoming post,but for now let's begin with the 4 offbeat things and the remaining 3 we'll continue in next post with the video 

1)Delight your senses at Three Sisters Bake Cafe, Quarries Village Scotland










Just half an hour from the main town Glasgow is the quiet and historic Quarries Village.Enjoy lunch at this boutique cafe where the key aim is to 'Delight the senses'.
                                                                               
Opened by three sisters who are passionate about food and bakes where each and every dish is bursting with flavor Three Sisters Bake is a fun place to be.And so great was the taste that I still remember what I did order "chicken liver parfait and Freshly made soup of the day" along with the wholesome desserts.Loved it!


Website: Three Sisters Bake Official Website

2)Threave Gardens and Estate, Dumfries and Galloway Scotland




One and a half hour from Quarries village is the 647 hectares of Threave estate.It is divided into four main elements: Threave House,a restored Scottish baronial-style house,Threave garden made of landscaped garden and themed 'rooms'.








Threave garden is a beautifully designed landscape garden where on one end you'd find bat reserve another end sculpture of eagle and all at the backdrop of a Scottish house.The Scottish house which is now home to volunteers who work closely to preserve the nature.

Website: Threave - Estate

3) Camera Obscura at the Dumfries Museum Scotland

I have a confession to make,I am really not very fond of museums unless its interesting!And this one even if you are not into Museums would surprise you.Dumfries Museum is centered around the eighteenth century windmill which stands above the town.On the topmost floor of the museum is Camera Obscura.







A historic astronomical instrument which gives fascinating panoramic views over the town.No well it isn't a telescope it is something like..

An opening on the top floor which is reflecting in the spherical device just beneath and you can view the entire town at your table,just like an HD movie.You can zoom in and zoom out the objects on the round base,and can clearly see who is walking outside,the cars moving around,even as close as faces of people.Its amazing.You can add a little fun by adding small bridges on the round base and the car outside would look like it is going over the bridge"


Website : Dumfries Museum

4) Create your own ice-cream at Cream O' Galloway Scotland

Cream O' Galloway's award winning ice-creams are extra yummy.Made with pure,real ingredients,we too got to go a hands on session on ice cream making.So we all dressed up in sheer white doctors coat and the head band and the participants were divided into two teams.Then we whipped the milk with the cream,weighed down other ingredients and added on our own flavors we thought would be good and great.And there it all went in the machine which churns and makes the whole ice cream.Takes around 30 minutes to make,we kept on staring almost into the the machine every minute as if the ice cream was our baby.





Set in the beautiful Galloway countryside,the visitor center of Cream O' Galloway offers a full day fun filled activities with ropes and go karts and slides.If you love animals,you can play with sheep.In Scotland,you will find sheep almost on every patch of green and there are plenty.In the end,we gorged on the yummy burgers handmade with beef from their own organic farm.We had three vegetarians in our group,and they too were delighted with the veggie meal of their choice.

How To Get Scotland Visa?


Let's play a game "I never knew that".If you have been to Scotland,and have something interesting to share,offbeat routes,new food,or even hideouts we do not know..drop in your comments or write to me at ankionthemove@gmail.com to add in the upcoming blogpost

This was my first time to UK,so obviously I wasn't the lucky few with the stamped UK visa already.And for those who are not aware of the visa process to Scotland,the below might just help you out.For Scotland,you need UK visa.The below isn't the official requirement(as what I have heard is that keeps changing) but for someone genuine so that the chances of rejection are minimum.The below is based on my own personal experience and for a peek-a-boo to my recent escapade to Scotland,watch the video:



With not more than 18 days in hand,with two holidays in between my chances of getting a visa stamped for Scotland was very dicey.Visa ain't the easiest procedures as are the job interviews but in both cases they are essential.No body would want thieves in their country or terrorists,so they do their job and we do ours.It takes 15 working days for 80% visas to get processed as per the current trend on visitor visa and I got my visa on the 15th day.Guidance to visa processing time depending on your place of application is written here Visa Processing Time UKBA

Please do not book your flights prior as there might be delays in visa processing,also if you book your flights in advance make sure they are refundable.Check the calender of non working days before you apply and the list is

List of non-working holidays

FOR ALL INFORMATION AND UPDATES ON UK VISA
Check the UKBA website for every information you would need or require,its self explanatory and very well written

Visas and Immigration
British High Commision Official

1)Situation 1: Single,First Time,UK Visit,Category: Visitor,More than 20 working days in hand.

/*Fill the correct information every time in your visa application,as much as possible attach the original documents,no worries they'll be returned.For documents which you think is very important for them,attach a xerox with the original*/

a)Fill the form in the UKBA website: Save.Fill the form each and every column.Do not submit the first time,and before rechecking it again.

Visa for general visitor

Read the directions and the instructions properly.You can also check the guidance notes on the right hand site of the toolbar in the page.

b)Write a detailed letter addressing to the nearest British embassy explaining why would you want to go to UK,take a print,with your signature. Eg:

To,
The British Embassy,
Chennai

c)Print a no-objection certificate(NOC)
  -If you are working,the certificate has to be printed on the company's letterhead addressing the british embassy
  -If you are not working,the certificate has to be approved by your parents addressing the british embassy

d)Take a photo as per Visa_Photo_Guidance, please note that this is very important point we ignore which might be reason for delays or rejection in future

e)Financial proof(all needs to be attached)
                  - IT returns of last 3 years
                  - Pay slips of last 6 months
                  - Bank statements
This isn't mentioned anywhere but you need to have a proof of minimum of 1.5-2 lakhs or more depending on your duration of stay in your account,not recently deposited or transferred. If someone is sponsoring your trip you need to attach all the required documents of his/her as well along with.

f)Address proof - Voter's ID,Driving License etc for current address proof.If you do not have,get a address proof certificate from your company.If you have adhar card,that also works.

g)Letter from your sponsor.

h)Letter of your confirmed hotel reservation(if you have booked,I suggest you should,as this could be proof that you can afford at least your stay).Please book from pay when you arrive sites like booking.com so that if your visa is rejected or delayed you can easily cancel the reservation.

e)Birth certificate,Class x certificate
And any other document which you think would make your application strong.Once you have taken the printouts and got all originals,submit the above application online.Choose a suitable date for appointment and bio-metrics.

2)Situation 2: Married,First Time,UK Visit,Category: Visitor,More than 20 working days.

a)You need to have original marriage certificate along with the above.
b)In case you are working - a NOC from office
  In case you are not working - a NOC from your husband
  If you can,get both :)

3)Situation 3: If less than 17 working days

If you do not have time to do research on the website,or you are unsure on how to do on your own

You can take help of Thomas Cook Visa Services.Make sure,you attend the office personally,as visa requests on mail are not responded back quick most of the time.Thomas cook can only guide you in the visa application process,but in no way can influence or guarantee the rejection or acceptance of the visa.

Track Your Visa Application

You can either request the vfs for the email and sms application status notification during your application submission or track it online here:

Visa Application Tracker

How To Reach Scotland?

Scotland has four main airports; Glasgow, Glasgow Prestwick, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, plus many regional airports spread across the country in Dundee, Inverness, Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland.There are many carriers from India like Air France,KLM,Air India,Turkish Airlines to name a few to Glasgow and Edinburgh.However,it would roughly cost around 60 - 70 k return,depending on how early you book the flights.

The Plane Weigh = Pounds more?

An interesting topic of discussion.How much should you carry the luggage?For most of the carriers it is 20 kgs as check-in luggage overseas.But as Indians we tend to shop more,and we pack more.And for me since I am a shopoholica,I bought tops and earrings from the many shopping centers in Edinburgh and you wouldn't believe I had to carry on like 26 kgs back in India.So well there it goes

-Pack 15 kgs or less as Check in,and a handy backpack as the carry on luggage if you are travelling for 10 days or more
-Travelling for 5-6 days,just carry a small check-in baggage
-For most of the international carriers,the cost of extra baggage is high.I had to pay 40 pounds for the extra 5 kgs .I didn't even shop for 40 pounds anywhere.I could have got a cool backpack or may be a dress.
-If you see that the weight is 22-25 kgs,shift the excess baggage to your carry on luggage to reduce cost
-Buy a heavy jacket for European winters,a pair of tights,socks,shoes, winter wear,umbrella(for scotland,rains almost everyday)
-Keep a travel adaptor with different plug-ins.
-Do not iron and keep your clothes,roll them into tiny bits and press them in.Most of the hotels will have an iron box or even if they don't if you are a backpacker,this shouldn't matter
-Get synthetic clothes for Europe,as they are less likely to form crease even if unironed.
-If you have weighing machine at home,please weigh your box to avoid inconvenience at the airport

The Currency Exchange

The currency of UK is pound.
1 Pound = 82 Rupees (current rate)

To know the current exchange rate
Google 1 pound = rs

To convert the money
Avoid the airport counters as the exchange rate is a little lower than the usual
You can try Centrum or other authorized foreign exchange counters within your city for better exchange rate

The Travel Card
A convenient alternative to cash.Split your expenditure into half or 3/4 and deposit the maximum amount in the travel card.Advantage -it acts as your debit card overseas.So you need not always carry the hard cash which is anyways not advisable.You can get it from any exchange counters.

Travelling Solo or Travel in a group?

Depends.Travelling solo gives a feeling of independence and travelling in a group makes you meet new people and let you get to know them close.Being a women I have done them both,and at the end of the day,I would suggest whatever suits you.I would write an article on this very shortly on why the world is not as unsafe as It is thought to be,and why you need not always carry a pepper spray.Write in your comments on what way you prefer to travel and why?Hmm..I am sure this is gonna be an interesting topic.

                                                                 Love the world of animations?
                                                     Lets see what the visitor feels in Turkish airlines


Corrosion-resistant material is used in these fuel-efficient aircraft bodies. The aircrafts possess the latest technology. They also have such kind of opportunities as easy maintenance and low operating costs

Aircraft Type	Max Weight (Ton)	Range (km)	Speed (km/hour)	Seat Capacity
A321-200	89	4100	858	180
A320 NEO	73,5	5000	858	150
A321 NEO	89	4400	858	188

The quickest respite from our busiest life is to unwind at a place which is not so near and not so far,imagine a home away from home where peace rules and your heart does what it desires to,even if it's for a day.You live in Bangalore in the same hustle and bustle of life,the same deadlines,the same old story and you desperately want to live in the nature but do not know where to go and what to do?Here's good news,just 4-5 hours drive from Bangalore is a quiet place in the hills just before Chikmagalur a small town called Mudigere.

                                                    Flameback Mudigere: An interesting Escapade
                                  Watch me in the video as I take you through this special offbeat resort


That's where I found my abode to peace,and It wasn't just luck.Thanks to my favorite Lonely Planet Magazine for publishing an article on Flameback some time back,that I thought hey this looks like a place which is to be visited at least once and that's when I called up Bharath and there I was in my favorite Flameback.

Flameback Lodges previous post "Hi from Flameback Lodges"

I love Lonely Planet,they are so genuine and the articles always present the brighter side of India,or the world.If you are a traveler subscribe or just buy off the stands.It'll help you big time,It has helped me big time.

Flameback Lodges on Lonely Planet

Some places revive memories,some places create them.Some places are beautiful because they are,and some places are made beautiful because of the people there.Some places have good food,some places have awesome food.Some places are leisure big time,while some others are rough,sweet and spacious.

                                                      Peace is when time doesn't matter as it passes by.

Be it the spacious suite or the delicious food or one of those paddy villas or excursion to the nearby hill or a walk in the plantation or an ayurvedic massage , If you are looking for the perfect mix of everything,you are at the right place.

                                                                  I could talk food all day. I love good food.

The food specially is to die for,literally.I am short of adjectives at the moment to describe the taste of food which is so tastefully made.I never tasted Pork before I tried here,and wow the best Pork I ever had.The best fried fish.The best sambar,the best everything which is at your platter.Even the humble upma or the humble baighan bharta.The morning starts with super healthy delicious food,but not stale or raw,but well cooked or presented.And everything can be accompanied with a beer.You arrive at 4 or 11,you can feel at home,have your food.The flexibility to choose your food at your convenience is itself very welcoming.You are free to read books at your leisure while you eat,free to choose your cycles,free to play table tennis,free to play with Bharath's dogs "Shark, Caesar and Ruby",walk around the lake,learn kayaking and if you are alone you can chat with Bharath or just stroll around with him and the Flameback crew.

                                  Bharath and the Natural Spring Water.It tastes really really earthy and pure!

The very special feature about this resort is no matter how big the rooms are,and how well it is designed and made they provide a gateway to nature.Like in front of my room was a big balcony overlooking the paddy fields.Like in front of the suite was the lake.And it does make you feel how much have we lost touch with nature,and create a lovely ambience. There are facilities like inhouse fridge,hot water,and several windows with nature around in all villas and suites.

There are many excursions which Bharath and team arranges on request.The coffee plantation walk gives you an insight on how the coffee is grown and made.You can cherish a few lovely moments at the tree plank or you can just admire the beauty of the hills and the helipad.You can go for a trek with him,or take advice on where to go.

                                                                                                    Aha! Life

                                                                                    “Happiness is a warm puppy.”                                                                            

Flameback lodges make you feel like home,relaxed revived shedding your formal self and just be you at the pace you love to be at.The options are plenty,and so its best to just check their website

Flameback Website:Official Site
Flameback on Facebook:Flameback FB Page