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Edmunds tests the best automotive hands-free driving systems
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Best hotels in Scotland 2023: Where to stay for the ultimate escape
Gone are the days of fusty, old-school Scottish hotels. Today, Scotland offers a wealth of welcoming hotel options to suit all tastes, types and budgets. The classic old-world luxury dames still proudly proffer their history in the glens and overlooking the lochs, with many back at their best in recent years, thanks to some serious investment. They’ve been joined by a new wave of boutique accommodations, where tartan twee is eschewed for cutting-edge design and the work of local artists and craftspeople. Scotland’s eight cities all boast a dizzying array of options, with real choice, too, out in the Highlands and on the islands. Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway for two, a life-affirming family break packed with action, or a chilled escape with old pals, you’ll find it north of Hadrian’s Wall in a country where jaw-dropping scenery comes as standard. Scottish hospitality has moved up a notch as customers’ expectations rise ever higher, and, when it comes to picking a place to stay, we’ve rounded up the best of the best. The best hotels in Scotland 2023 are: Best luxury hotel: The Balmoral Best hotel for couples: Orocco Pier Best budget hotel: Clayton Hotel Glasgow City Best city break hotel: Malmaison Aberdeen Best hotel for walkers: The Torridon Best boutique hotel: Hotel Indigo Dundee Best hotel for scenic views: Trump Turnberry Best hotel for foodies: Kinloch Lodge Best spa hotel: Cameron House Best family hotel: Gleneagles Best hotels in Edinburgh Best luxury hotel: The Balmoral Neighbourhood: Edinburgh This quintessential Edinburgh hotel has proudly stood at No.1 Princes Street since 1902. Rocco Forte’s flagship city hotel is constantly being tweaked to stay ahead. Book a room with a castle view or the room where JK Rowling completed her Harry Potter saga – all rooms have the same classically luxurious, calm vibe. A basement spa with the Irene Forte Skincare range tempts, along with the pool. Delve below street level too for Number One, which has cherished a well-deserved Michelin star for more than two decades. It still does a proper Scotch beef steak if you don’t want to experiment with the modern Scottish creations. Expand your whisky horizons at SCOTCH whisky bar with its 500 whiskies, or savour afternoon tea beneath a Venetian chandelier, accompanied by the soothing sounds of the harp in Palm Court. Book now Best hotel for couples: Orocco Pier Neighbourhood: Edinburgh The seaside suburb of South Queensferry is a favourite of Edinburghers during weekends. Enjoy the day-trip delights of the cobbled high street’s shops, a boat trip on Maid of the Forth out to the wee island of Inchcolm and – best of all – the epic views of the world-famous Forth Bridge. When the day trippers leave, linger at Orocco Pier, a smart 17-room boutique bolthole on the waterfront. Book a room with a view of the bridge, savour a sundowner in the Antico Bar, feast on a seafood platter for two in the revamped Samphire Restaurant and enjoy a moonlit stroll with the bridge as a seriously romantic backdrop. Best hotels in Glasgow Best budget hotel: Clayton Hotel Glasgow City Neighbourhood: Glasgow Forget the privations of hostel rooms or faceless budget chains; instead, recline in the deeply historic old Grade A-listed customs house right on the River Clyde in the heart of Glasgow. This is a 303-room, four-star hotel at three-star prices. Rooms are comfortable rather than luxurious, but spacious with comfy King Koil mattresses. Book a riverside room for views over the Clyde and towards the city’s Southside. The Custom House Bar & Restaurant is worth staying in for too – savour the signature Glaswegin cocktails at the swish bar before tucking into steaks and international comfort food. Best hotels in Aberdeen Best city break hotel: Malmaison Aberdeen Neighbourhood: Aberdeen Aberdeen has its fair share of characterless hotels catering for its lifeblood fossil fuel industries, but the Malmaison’s offering is the finest of the boutique chain in Scotland. Housed in a grand grey granite building (Aberdeen is known as the Granite City), this 79-room hotel is ideally located for exploring the rapidly changing city. Stroll to the revamped Aberdeen Art Gallery and the new City Gardens; later watch the dolphins at Torry Battery. The city’s boisterous pubs and clubs buzz all around, with plenty of eating out options nearby. The hotel’s wine list is impressive, while Chez Mal serves spot-on steaks cooked on a Josper grill. Best hotels in the Scottish Highlands Best hotel for walkers: The Torridon Neighbourhood: Wester Ross Daniel and Rohaise Rose-Bristow are legends of the Scottish hotel scene, seamlessly steering this Wester Ross escape for more than two decades. You could just sip whisky watching the Highland cows and the mist over Loch Torridon, but many come here to hike. The epic Torridon Mountains soar up over a kilometre high, offering life-affirming challenges. A comparatively easy option for experienced hikers is 903m-high Beinn Damh – yomp up straight from the hotel. Even gentler is a rare – for Scotland – waymarked mountain trail at Beinn Eighe, offering a taste of the mountains to less-experienced hikers. The hotel’s Torridon Outdoors team can lead the way. Stay in the plush main hotel or more hiker-friendly inn-style Stables. Book now Best Isle of Skye hotels Best hotel for foodies: Kinloch Lodge Neighbourhood: Isle of Skye Dining at whitewashed Kinloch Lodge, you’ll question the judgement of the Michelin inspectors who stole a well-deserved star a few years ago from this 17th-century hunting lodge run for five decades by the legendary foodie family the MacDonalds. Passion, authenticity and sound local produce ripple through this foodie hideaway, gloriously set on its own sea loch. Spend the morning foraging for wild herbs and chanterelles with the Skye Ghillie, then tuck into creative fine dining from head chef Jordan Webb. Kick off with Lochalsh crab toast rarebit, pickled cucumber and lemon gel; followed by Skye roe deer with turnip, and leek, spiced with a Kinloch wood-foraged bramble jus. Divine. Best hotels in Dundee Best boutique hotel: Hotel Indigo Dundee Neighbourhood: Dundee Dundee is a designated Unesco City of Design and is arguably the most dynamic Scottish city of this millennium – home to the first V&A design museum outside London, which is the centrepiece of the multi-million pound waterfront regeneration. The Hotel Indigo is symbolic of Dundee’s transformation – a boutique 120-room oasis brilliantly reborn from one of the old jute mills that used to power Dundee. Antique furnishings weave together with bright colours and striking fabrics – the latter the work of artist alumni from the city’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design. Best hotels in Ayrshire Best hotel for scenic views: Trump Turnberry Neighbourhood: Ayrshire Whatever you think of its owner, the views at this unique 92-bedroom resort are impossible to argue with. This prime strip of Ayrshire coastline, site of Robert the Bruce’s ancestral castle, peers out across the Firth of Clyde towards the glowering Alpine-esque peaks of the Isle of Arran, with the hulking gannet-dotted rock granite rock sentinel of Ailsa Craig blinking back too. As the sun melts into the cobalt waters, the Turnberry Lighthouse kicks into action. Play a round on the famous golf courses to really make the most of the views, or just recline in one of the plush bars and restaurants in a window seat. Horse riding and hiking also reveal spirit-soaring views. Best hotels in Loch Lomond Best spa hotel: Cameron House Neighbourhood: Loch Lomond Set on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, this resort retreat is naturally relaxing with water, forests and hills everywhere you look. There is a swimming pool complex at the main hotel but, if you really want to chill, take the shuttle bus just up the road to the Cameron Spa. The outdoor infinity pool at this adults-only escape peers over the island-studded loch; inside, the 20m ‘tranquillity pool’ sports a hot tub with other thermal treats as part of the Hydro & Thermal Experience. Spa and beauty treatments use ESPA and Made for Life Organics products. The ‘Couples Suite’ is the setting for sheer decadence for two. Best hotels in Perthshire Best family hotel: Gleneagles Neighbourhood: Perthshire It’s hard to think of a resort anywhere in the UK better set up for families than this glorious historic offering, which opened in 1924. They provide world-class kids’ clubs, a swimming pool with a bubbling outdoor section that delights wee ones, and all the usual child-distracting, parent-pleasing activities. Swirled in, too, is the chance for kids to help train a gun dog, have a bird of prey swoop in to literally eat out of their hands, shoot some arrows or drive a mini Land Rover. The hotel restaurants excel too, as adept at catering to babies as they are to teens. And then there are the world-renowned golf courses. Read more of our Scotland hotel reviews: Best Scottish highlands hotels Best dog-friendly Scotland hotels Best Scotland spa hotels Read more about Scotland travel: Best luxury hotels in Scotland Best boutique hotels in Edinburgh Best cheap hotels in Edinburgh Read More Best Norfolk hotels 2023: Where to stay for food, luxury and beach walks Best family-friendly Cornwall hotels for a fun 2023 holiday Best hotels in Brighton 2023: Where to stay for a unique seaside escape Eight of the best self-catering holiday homes to stay at in the UK Eight best solo holiday destinations in the UK for a singles getaway Scotland country guide: Everything you need to know before you go
2023-06-21 19:15
The best napping method to help with pulling an all-nighter
Pulling an all-nighter for an exam? Or do you work night shifts that you just can’t avoid? Well, researchers have revealed the optimal napping method to help combat fatigue during a 16-hour overnight duty. The research looked at data from pilot studies on night shifts conducted from 2012 to 2018 and found that the analysis could also be the key to providing relief for sleep-deprived mothers and fathers. The team found that scheduling two nap sessions – a 90-minute nap followed by a quick 30-minute nap later – is the optimal choice over a single 120-minute rest for delaying fatigue and sleepiness. “A 90-minute nap to maintain long-term performance and a 30-minute nap to maintain lower fatigue levels and fast reactions, as a strategic combination of naps, can be valuable for early morning work efficiency and safety,” said study author Sanae Oriyama, a nursing science professor at Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, found that many professions, including those in emergency sectors, have a lot of night shift work which can in turn increase the risk for sleep-related physical and mental health disorders and impair job performance. When daytime comes, the human body has a light-sensitive internal clock that activates wakefulness, and at night, this pushes the human body towards sleep. Study authors say because of this, the likelihood of errors and accidents during a night shift is elevated. In the medical field, this may inadvertently lead to serious harm to patients or to oneself, and naps are usually taken by shift workers to offset disruptions to the body clock. For the study, researchers looked at 41 women in their 20s who underwent a simulated 16-hour shift in a controlled environment, where factors, such as light and temperature, were standardised. Participants underwent hourly tests, including the Uchida-Kraepelin test (UKT) for assessing task speed and accuracy, and measurements of drowsiness, fatigue, heart rate and blood pressure. Professor Oriyama found that women who took a single 120-minute nap suffered increased drowsiness from 4am onward. Those who had two naps, a 90-minute nap followed by a 30-minute nap, postponed their drowsiness until 6am. Researchers suggest adding an extra 30 minutes of shut-eye between 5am and 6am, given that drowsiness might shoot up from 7am to 8am. All nap participants reported fatigue between 4am and 9am, whereas the dual-nap group reported less intense fatigue. “During a night shift that, for example, lasts from 4pm to 9am the next morning, a split nap of 90 minutes and 30 minutes, ending at 12am and 3am, respectively, is thought to be more effective than a 120-minute monophasic nap ending at 12am when tasks requiring quick responses to maintain a high level of safety are scheduled between 2am and 9am.,” Professor Oriyama said. The study also revealed that the duration of the nap plays a crucial role. The later you take it, it will become more difficult to fend off sleepiness and exhaustion. However, delaying it too much could interfere with your focus as your sleep drive builds up. “Hence, the ideal time for taking a nap and the ideal nap schedule during long night shifts need further elucidation,” Professor Oriyama added. Read More Why is my teenager sleeping so much? Sounds that can help you fall asleep better How to sleep during hot weather, according to experts Sounds that can help you fall asleep better How to spend the perfect healthy Super Saturday – according to science Summer of female sporting events inspires millions of women to get back into the game
2023-09-27 21:49
Indonesia jails woman who recited Muslim prayer before trying pork on TikTok
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Donald Trump has been indicted again, and he's mad about it
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Chosen Foods Launches Limited Batch Pumpkin Spice Avocado Oil Caviar
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Aric Hutchinson returns home, arranging wife Samantha's funeral after spending months planning wedding
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Save 86% on a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional for Windows
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