
Newmarket Holidays puts 2026 Edinburgh Tattoo packages on sale
For those keen to explore further, an optional excursion takes in the wooded glens of the Trossachs and a boat trip across the breathtaking waters of Loch Lomond.
Prices start from £801 per person, including the 10% discount on early bookings until 30 September, with flights from a variety of regional airports and six departure dates throughout August 2026.
Hayley Morris, Head of Trade Sales and Partnerships at Newmarket Holidays says: "The Edinburgh Tattoo is one of those rare, spine-tingling spectacles that stays with you long after the last note fades. This year's guests are telling us how unforgettable it's been, from the precision of the performers to the atmosphere under the floodlit castle, and we want to make sure no one misses their chance to experience it in 2026.
"By launching our tour early, agents can ride the wave of excitement from this year's event, secure those sought-after seats and offer clients an incredible short break with plenty of time to plan. And with our 10% early-booking discount running until 30 September, it's the perfect time to lock in this wishlist experience.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Man rescued after going overboard on Troon to Arran Calmac ferry
A ferry passenger has been rescued from the Firth of Clyde after falling from a vessel travelling to the Isle of from the ferry were dispatched to pull the man from the water after he fell from the 13:35 Calmac service between Troon and Brodick on MV Alfred was rerouted back to Troon harbour after the rescue and Calmac warned sailings would be delayed for the rest of the passenger, who was understood to be conscious, was passed to the Scottish Ambulance Service.


The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
ScotRail rolls with it in busiest 2025 week as Oasis fans flock to Edinburgh
ScotRail had its busiest week of 2025 so far, carrying almost two million passengers as music fans flocked to Oasis reunion concerts. Around 328,000 people travelled with ScotRail on Friday August 8, when Liam and Noel Gallagher and their band took to the stage for the first of three sellout gigs at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. That total was up by almost a fifth (19%) compared with the same day last year. Meanwhile, a total of 327,000 travellers took to the rails on Saturday, with passenger numbers for that day 12% higher than the same date in 2024, up 12% on 2024. ScotRail added that these days were the busiest its services had been since December 14 last year, when the festive season was in full swing. With the third Oasis concert taking place in the capital on Tuesday August 12, ScotRail said it had carried a total of 1,995,000 people over the week commencing Friday August 8. David Ross, chief operating officer at the rail operator said: 'This week once again confirms that ScotRail is increasingly the travel mode of choice for people going to large events in Scotland. 'The fact that we've just delivered the busiest week of 2025 so far shows how important large concerts and events are to our business and the Scottish economy. 'Our frontline staff once again delivered an excellent service for almost two million customers who chose to travel with ScotRail.'


Times
18 hours ago
- Times
Scottish Thistle Awards: a sneak peek at this year's shortlist
Want to know the best places to stay, the must-visit attractions and top sporting events? Frankly, who has time to do the research? Well, luckily, the Scottish Thistle Awards judges do — they've found the hoteliers with heart, the restaurants cooking up a storm and the events worth putting your kilt on for. Better still, they've given us a sneak peek at the finalists, exclusively revealed below. Our advice? Book now, while you still can. Say what you like about his politics, Donald Trump sure knows how to glam up his hotels — not for nothing Trump Turnberry scooped last year's Best Luxury Experience, and is down to the last four in 2025. Perched high above the rugged South Ayrshire coast, it was Britain's first purpose-built golf resort, dating from 1906. You're unlikely to forget the year: the signature restaurant is named 1906 and dinner service begins every night at 19.06. Besides eating lobster thermidor while looking out over the golf course to the sea, or taking tea under sparkling chandeliers in the Grand Tea Lounge, guests can also detoxify in the five-star spa, which has floor-to-ceiling views over to Arran and Ailsa Craig, plus a heated infinity pool, steam room, sensory showers and ice fountain. Much has been made of Trump's bid for the Open return to Turnberry — the Ailsa course hosted the event here in 1977, 1986, 1994 and 2009 — but for now hotel guests (and visitors) can play a round at this bucket-list course for an eye-watering green fee roughly between £500-£1,000. Or get stuck into activities including clay shooting, quad biking, or horse riding at Turnberry's own equestrian B&B doubles from £299, A finalist in last year's Scottish Thistle Awards, Knockinaam Lodge is a five-star luxury boutique hotel in a former shooting lodge where Churchill and Eisenhower met in secret to plan the D-Day landings. Just round the coast from Portpatrick on the wild, western edge of the Rhinns of Galloway, the hotel has dreamy views over the Irish Sea — but the food is an even bigger draw, with three AA Rosettes over the restaurant door. The head chef Tony Pierce and his team take pride in their daily-changing tasting menus, using ingredients from their own kitchen garden. Since last May, the hotel has teamed up with local businesses to offer bespoke packages for guests, including falconry experiences, gourmet weekends and in-room massages, which have been going down a storm. • Knockinaam: heaven's door The best room is the Churchill Suite, where the prime minister stayed for that famous meeting in 1944, featuring a seating area around the original fireplace and views over the garden and a private cove below. Nine other rooms are available; some with a cosy window seat or Victorian rolltop bathtub. Book one for your own secret rendezvous or the entire Victorian lodge can be hired for exclusive use. All suites come with luxury handmade toiletries by Apothecally, an hour away in Gatehouse of Dinner and B&B doubles from £390, 'Made in Scotland, made to last' goes the motto for this luxury cashmere and merino wool brand, weaver of the world's finest fibres since 1797. Buy its knitwear at its shops in Edinburgh, St Andrews and Mayfair — or see how it's all done at its visitors centres in Hawick and Elgin, the latter housed in Johnstons' original mill on the banks of the River Lossie. • How to get the best out of a weekend in Elgin Guided tours teach visitors about everything from the 30 processes involved in crafting a single scarf to the history of the company's famous tweeds. Johnstons' Elgin mill is the only 'vertical' weaving mill in Scotland — where raw fibres are treated, spun then dyed and woven all in the same building. Tours can be tied in with a personal shopping experience followed by lunch or afternoon tea in the Weavers coffee One-hour tours £15, Nicknamed the Harrods of the north, The House of Bruar is to the Highlands what Jenners used to be to Edinburgh (albeit halfway up the A9 near Blair Atholl, not slap bang on Princes Street). It calls itself Scotland's premier independent country living retailer — and it's hard to argue with somewhere selling everything from Harris Tweed dog blankets and top-brand fishing rods to merino wool socks and Barbour jackets. The adjoining food hall and restaurant have similarly high standards (our recommendation, the lobster, fish and chip shop). A bonnie location near the Falls of Bruar helps: where else can you stock up on copper-plated garden tools, antique games tables and smoked salmon terrine, then walk to the falls, let the children loose on the play park, and take off up or down the A9 — probably off on your hols?Details • Walk of the week: The Falls of Bruar, Perthshire The opening stage at last year's men's Tour of Britain cycling race kicked off in Kelso, looping through the Borders via Coldstream, Melrose and St Boswells. Free to spectators, the event featured Borders boys Callum Thornley from Peebles and Oscar Onley from Kelso, with this leg won by the Frenchman Paul Magnier. The bad news for anyone wanting to copy the route is that it's a whopping 113-mile rollercoaster — you would need to borrow Chris Hoy's thighs if you wanted to do it in a day. • A cycling tour de Borders fuelled by fine French-inspired cuisine The good news is that with a fair wind (and energy gels) most could manage the 56-mile Four Abbeys loop, which hits Kelso, Melrose, Jedburgh and Dryburgh and includes some key climbs from the race — minus that pro peloton breathing down your neck. It's by no means a cakewalk (you're looking at six to eight hours in the saddle), but you'll get epic views, ancient abbeys and maybe a slice of cake at Sir Walter Scott's old home, Abbotsford Visit for information on the Four Abbeys Loop Wondering about the name? It comes from the Gaelic word for disembowelling a deer. Strange name for a mountain-biking event then? Not if you look at the stats: 69 miles on gravel, one vertical mile of ascent — the 1,500 competitors at last year's event knew exactly why the organisers chose the name. Taking place each May, the Gatehouse of Fleet event began in 2023, the first time the UK had hosted a top-level international gravel race. There's live music, food and drink, and riders aged 16 to 80 have competed from as far afield as Mauritius, New Zealand and Colombia. It's a perfect showcase for Scottish cycling, with its rolling hills, hidden lochs and vast network of gravel tracks. Got what it takes to join them? Registration is open now for the 2026 event. If you fancy giving it a go but don't know where to start then visit Wheels of Fleet ( a fantastically friendly bike shop near the Mill in Gatehouse that rents out gravel bikes from £30 a day and ebikes from £45 a day, including helmets and route maps for loops of 5-35 If you were in Holyrood Park last July and saw a bunch of wiry runners hurtling about with maps and compasses, you were probably witnessing the World Orienteering Championships. The six-day speed navigation event drew amateurs and elite athletes from across the orienteering world, with races also taking place in Leith, Wester Hailes, Heriot-Watt University campus, the old town and even the University of Edinburgh's King's Buildings. The competition will be in Genoa in July 2026 — and if that sounds tempting, there are several clubs in Edinburgh who'll help you get into the sport, including Edinburgh Southern ( and Interlopers ( Beginners outside Edinburgh can visit Scottish Orienteering ( to track down a club nearer to Delivered by VisitScotland, in association with headline sponsors Abbey: The Destination Experts, the Scottish Thistle Awards celebrate the very best of the tourism and events industry. The national final takes place in Glasgow on November 20, 2025;