Gillian Alexandra

It's currently May 2026 but the below post was sitting in my drafts so thought I'd post it anyway! Just logged on for the first time in about 2 years (life just got in the way I guess) and the first thing I noticed was my "About Me" section:- "I'm Gillian and I live in Dundee with my Fiance Shaun. We like to travel a lot although this year we're toning it down a little because we're saving up to buy a house (eek, exciting!) so we only have a couple of trips planned this year. Hopefully new house by 2019, married in 2020, and might be able to squeeze a bit more travelling in before our family expands!" So things haven't quite turned out as planned, for obvious reasons (thank you Covid). However, in December 2020 we did move into our lovely new house! I suppose we have one thing to thank Covid for, and that's the fact that because of the travel restrictions, we managed to save up a lot quicker for our house than we thought!

The past few months have been suuuuper hectic (hence the lack of posting!) so Shaun and I decided to have a last minute night away to Crieff Hydro a couple of weeks ago for some relaxation. We thought it would be nice and quiet with it being a Thursday, however we were sooo wrong... We'd only forgotten it was the Easter Holidays!! (as you do when you don't have kids!) So bang went our lovely quiet night - the place was FULL of noisy screaming children! However, we didn't let that stop us and all in all we had a lovely stay. We left straight after work and it only takes an hour or so to get there from where we live so we were there by 6.30ish. Stunning hotel by the way, and very nicely decorated. Unfortunately it was so busy I couldn't get many photos of the inside. Check in was simple, the girl was lovely and very informative. We got a map of the hotel and facilities (yes, it is really that big!) and she told us the meal times etc. We were...

Having visited this event in 2017 I was eager to return this year with the promise of a "bigger" and "scarier" event. My did they deliver on that promise! Spirits of Scone is a Halloween event based at the iconic Scone Palace just outside Perth. Running from 25th - 31st October the event promises scares, shocks and Halloween fun and it delivers on all fronts. On arrival in the free car park you are directed to a short uphill walk through the scary woods which leads you to a box office which was new for this year. Tickets sorted, you are left to follow a pre-set route around the gardens and woods of Scones Palace not quite knowing what you'll encounter along the way. The frights here are excellent and you never quite know where to look. The excellent lighting and special effects really add to the eerie atmosphere. We encountered ghostly figures, werewolves and chainsaw wielding maniacs to name just a few on our path towards the maze of nightmares! You re...

For a few years now, Shaun has wanted to visit a theme park in Gothenburg, Sweden called Liseberg so we decided to spend a few days over there as a late birthday present for him. Knowing we had a busy couple of days ahead of us, we decided to REALLY treat ourselves on the first night and booked into the Upper House Spa in Gothia Towers for an evening of pampering and relaxation.  We picked the Luxury Evening package, it was pretty expensive ( around £120pp ) but the experience was absolutely amazing and worth every penny.  We arrived and headed straight up to the Spa reception to be welcomed by a lovely staff member who explained the process to us.  Our package included champagne and canapés so first of all we headed up to the Upper House restaurant and were seated next to a big window with an amazing view. We were given a glass of champagne and a few different canapés to enjoy while looking out at the setting sun.  We did feel extremely under-dressed t...

Shaun and I have teamed up to write this post, first explaining how much Alton Towers has changed over the years and then giving you some tips on how to make the most of your day there. Alton Towers' slogan used to be "Where the Magic Never Ends", but if this year is anything to go by, the magic has almost completely died. There was a time when upon entering Alton Towers you just knew you were going to have a good day. You were welcomed with open arms. There was free parking, free entertainment and shows, high street fast food brands with high street pricing, happy staff and of course the UK’s best rollercoasters and innovative selection of rides and experiences. My how times change. They don’t care anymore. They’ve just given up. Please don’t be fooled, they want your money and nothing more. If you have a good day here it’s by luck not design. Welcome to the car park. £6 please. Or £16 if you’d like to park closer. SIXTEEN POUNDS! Queues everywhere. Now, l...

For the past few years Shaun has wanted to visit a theme park in Gothenburg, Sweden called Liseberg so we decided to go over for a long weekend as a late birthday present. We picked a hostel instead of a hotel for this trip simply because hotels in Sweden are SUPER expensive! We had heard about Spoton Hostel & Sportsbar through Theme Park Worldwide's vlogs as they stayed there when they visited Liseberg so we knew it was a good place. The thing that surprised me most about it was that it was so quiet! You hear the word "hostel" and think of a bunch of noisy young travellers messing about but we heard absolutely nothing the entire time we were there!  The room was spotlessly clean, we had a large bed ( two singles pushed together ), a set of bunk beds and our own private bathroom.  Excuse the mess! The girl on reception was lovely and extremely helpful, explaining how to use the trams and what the prices were etc. The only thing we weren'...