Doohan cuts holiday short for Scotland
Free agent goalkeeper Ross Doohan, 27, cut short his holiday to join up with the Scotland squad for Monday's friendly with Liechtenstein. (Scotsman - subscription required), externalLiechtenstein head coach Konrad Funfstuck wishes he "had those kind of problems" as he laughed off Scotland's goalkeeping crisis. (Sun), externalLewis Ferguson insists there will be no panic from Scotland as they take on Liechtenstein in Vaduz three days on from losing at home to Iceland. (Herald - subscription required), externalRead Monday's Scottish gossip
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Times
15 minutes ago
- Times
My first month as a solo female caravanner? Totally empowering
I've been solo skydiving over Salisbury Plain — three times no less — and tandem paragliding in the Himalayas. I've swum in the second-largest lake in the UK in the middle of the night, and I've taken on that terrifying treetop challenge at GoApe that involves a leap of faith into a giant rope net 12m above ground. And yet none of these thrills can quite compare to reverse-parking my caravan in front of a canvas-twitching campsite full of strangers, setting up my canopy and settling down for a beer — all on my own. I'm in month one of a four-month trip around Scotland in my tiny Eriba Pan Familia, a 30-year-old metal bubble with a pop-top roof and no loo, and it's dawned on me: solo caravanning is the most empowering thing I've done. Sure, it's not adrenaline-fuelled (or at least, it's not meant to be) and it's hardly a bold pursuit, but when the prevailing narrative in society is that women can't drive well — we all know the sexist slur 'women drivers, no survivors' — let alone tow a trailer or caravan, perhaps it's no wonder it makes me feel like I've conquered Everest every time I park on a site without the need for help. • 16 of the best destinations for solo female travellers It's a curious thing, being a solo female caravanner; we're a rare breed. I've barely met any lone women on this trip, much less ones towing caravans. And it seems there's this conviction among many women that they could never do it themselves. I've been called brave more times than I can count over the past two years I've been out in this silly little vehicle, and when I post a video about it on Instagram, it proves my point: comment after comment reads 'I could never do this' or 'I'm too scared to tow', all from women. Of course, when I started out, I was nervous; even the drive up to Scotland this time had my heart rate raised, despite the fact I've towed this van to Portugal and back. Although perhaps my nerves were a symptom of the fact my car had broken down the week before and so I'd had to borrow an unsettlingly pristine one-year-old BMW X3 with 1,000 miles on the clock to get going. Still, I hadn't let the unknown stop me from learning the ropes when I bought this caravan in 2023 and I strong-armed a good friend into letting me practise reversing his flat-bed trailer on an industrial estate. The fact many think they can't do it certainly massages my ego a bit (or is that the BMW?), but in reality it's not that hard, and I'm really not that brave. Plus, the two main caravan clubs run towing courses that will turn you into a pro in no time. • 11 of the best group tours for solo travellers For all its merits — the freedom, the empowerment, the mental health-boosting outdoor lifestyle — solo caravanning can also be isolating. Each time I park up somewhere new, it feels as if other campers are a little baffled by my presence. Anni, a fellow solo caravanner I serendipitously met on a park bench in Glasgow last month, has had much the same experience. 'The women look at me with a combination of suspicion and pity,' she said. 'Although once I get talking to them, they thaw and reveal they are actually envious that I am caravanning alone.' And it's true. I've been stared down by other women on campsites while their husbands jostle out of their padded camping chairs to come to my rescue — 'She can't possibly unhitch that caravan alone!' they must think. Even if I don't look like I'm struggling, the 'Do you need a hand, love?' inevitably comes from somewhere nearby while I'm winding my jockey wheel up or plugging the cables into the car. • I've been to 31 countries as a solo female. Here's where I'd recommend After a week pitched on the edge of a hill in South Ayrshire at Culzean Castle Camping and Caravanning Club Site, where I witnessed sunsets so delicious that they made me feel drunk, I was quite happily reversing the car towards the towbar when a passing man decided to come to inspect my work. 'I just don't want you to prang that nice new BMW.' I'm sure he meant well, but what he didn't realise was that my 'nice new BMW' has a towbar-assist camera, so I can line up the car and the towbar perfectly the first time, every time. Instead of helping, he stood so close to the car that he set off the rear sensors and the safety measures kicked in, engaging the handbrake automatically. But overly helpful men and suspicious campers aside, the feeling of towing my own home on wheels to wherever I fancy next is the most liberating and thrilling experience. I've spent a month zig-zagging around southern Scotland, from the ruined abbeys of the Borders to castles in Dumfries and Galloway and the lush green trails of Galloway Forest Park. I've parked on the shores of Loch Lomond, where I could swim right from my pitch, and camped in the sheltered glens of Arran, where my caravan was the perfect home after a day's hard hiking in the hills. Plus I've cooked lunches for one on coastal roads while waiting for ferries to carry me to further afield isles, and had fresh fish and seafood delivered to my pitch on the Kintyre peninsula. It hasn't all been plain sailing — or towing, I should say. I was perhaps a little cocky in Glasgow as I pulled off a blind-side reverse into my pitch and scraped the van along an inconveniently placed planter (nothing a little resin polish on a rag can't fix). And a single-track road on the Kintyre peninsula had me reversing the van into a passing place so the oncoming motorhome could get by. It was what you might call a squeaky bum moment, but I just about managed to stay out of the roadside ditch as the massive camper went onwards, and I drove on feeling utterly triumphant. I know there'll be more challenges ahead, but all I'm concerned with right now is where I'll park up next. To the beach or the mountains? The world may not be my oyster in this tiny van, but the Scottish Highlands will do. Would you go it alone in a caravan — or have you? Let us know in the comments
The Independent
16 minutes ago
- The Independent
Finn Russell hoping for strong showing from Bath fans at Premiership final
Scotland fly-half Finn Russell is looking forward to running out at the Allianz Stadium to the roar of Bath's sell-out support rather than with the jeers of England fans ringing in his ears. The British and Irish Lions number 10 kicked 14 points to help Bath beat rivals Bristol and secure a return to the Gallagher Premiership final. Russell, who has recovered from cramp which forced him off during the closing stages at The Recreation Ground, hopes to feel plenty of positive vibes from the Twickenham stands on Saturday – in stark to his previous visits when in Scotland blue. 'From what I have heard, a lot of Bath fans bought tickets a while back to make sure they had them, as they did last year,' Russell said. 'A lot of them will be getting the train over to Twickenham at the weekend and it is always good playing in front of a sold-out stadium. 'Having your home fans there, hopefully the majority of tickets are Bath fans, that will be special.' Scotland vice-captain Russell added: 'I know the other side of playing at Twickenham – usually when I am there, it is 70-odd thousand fans against me. 'But it is always special playing in that stadium and hopefully our fans can make as much noise as possible.' Russell, 32, remains determined to see Bath put last season's defeat by Northampton behind them and land a first title since 1996. 'I think that motivation has been there for everyone,' said Russell, who has been called up for his third successive Lions tour this summer. 'After getting that final and losing it last year, it is always quite tough to come back in that next year. 'But I think everyone came back in pre-season in good shape and kind of ripped in straight away. 'At the start of the year, the goal was to win the Premiership. We have gotten ourselves in a good spot just now to hopefully go and do that. 'We have almost got back to where we wanted to be and hopefully can go one step further this year.' Bath finished 11 points clear of Leicester at the top of the Premiership table, having won 14 games. Johann van Graan's side have already lifted the Premiership Rugby Cup and European Challenge Cup this season as they look to close out the campaign with yet more silverware. 'The playing group have been fantastic and it is great that everybody wants to play in the final, but ultimately, we can only select 23 players,' said Bath head of rugby van Graan. 'In our training again today, it doesn't matter what team you were in, everybody was in (to the session). 'Yes, some individuals will be disappointed, but that's natural. 'We see that as a positive, because everybody wants to play for this team and pulls in the same direction because they want to achieve something together.'
Daily Mail
19 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
British tourist condemns Benidorm hotel because the 'entertainment was all Spanish' and 'the Spanish are loud are rude' in damning review
A furious British holidaymaker condemned a Benidorm hotel because of its 'loud and rude' Spanish guests and for not offering entertainment in English. In a scathing review posted on TripAdvisor, the Brit who stayed at Port Fiesta Park in the Spanish resort said: 'Lovely hotel but the food was poor plates always cold. Footballers arrived every weekend we were there noisy and given priority at meal times. Entertainment all Spanish.' Leaving a one-star review, the former guest also said 'Spanish guests were loud and rude.' 'Would not recommend', the Brit added. Despite the brutal overall rating, the holidaymaker gave the categories for value, location, service, rooms, cleanliness and sleep quality five stars. The hotel responded to the guest's remarks, saying: 'Thank you for sharing your opinion with us. We apologize if your experience was not as you expected and we take note of everything described in order to improve our service day by day. We are saddened by your story about other guests. 'Our hotel, like Benidorm, is an international destination that receives people of up to 10 different nationalities every day and all are welcome. Sincerely, the Port Fiesta Park team,' it added. But the Brit is not the first to complain about the amount of Spanish locals in the tourist destination. Leaving a one-star review, the former guest also said 'Spanish guests were loud and rude' Back in 2018, a British grandmother claimed her her holiday to Benidorm was ruined because her Spanish hotel had 'too many Spaniards in it'. Freda Jackson from Blackburn, Lancashire, said she cried at the end of her two-week trip to the popular holiday destination which she booked through travel operator Thomas Cook. The pensioner said her hotel was teeming with 'rude' Spaniards - and claimed one nearly knocked her over on one occasion. Ms Jackson had booked to stay at the Poseidon Playa, located on the outskirts of Benidorm in south east Spain, with a friend in April 2017. Ms Jackson said: 'The hotel was full of Spanish holidaymakers and they really got on our nerves because they were just so rude. 'One evening a Spanish guy nearly knocked me flying and he just walked off without even apologising. 'The entertainment in the hotel was all focused and catered for the Spanish - why can't the Spanish go somewhere else for their holidays?'. The TripAdvisor complaint also comes as a British holidaymaker branded her holiday in Corfu a 'nightmare' because there was 'no English food' available on her trip. The pensioner paid £750 for the holiday but blasted the hotel's dining options, insisting 'there was no food we could eat and we couldn't have anything to drink' Susan Edwards set off on a seven-night, all-inclusive holiday to the Lido Corfu Sun Hotel on the Greek island with her family last month but claimed the trip was 'horrendous from the minute we got there'. The 69-year-old paid £750 for the holiday but blasted the hotel's dining options, insisting 'there was no food we could eat and we couldn't have anything to drink'. On the first morning, she could have 'toast, a hard boiled egg or something in sauce. There was no bacon.' The next day's breakfast was 'mozzarella and sliced tomatoes. There was no hot bacon or sausage.' Thankfully, 'we got chips one day' but only 'one day out of the whole lot'. 'There was fish, sardines and rice - I was sick to death of looking at rice,' Ms Edwards, from Westerhope, said. 'There was pasta and salads, none of this was marked. 'One night there was a Greek night and they had kebabs, I couldn't eat that. 'It's the worst holiday I've ever been on.' The drinks on offer at the all-inclusive included wine, lager, ouzo, or brandy as well as soft drinks. Bottled water cost €1.50, Ms Edwards claimed, who was travelling with her cousins, aged 77 and 78, her daughter, 30, and second cousin, 50. But the pensioner does not like ouzo and does not drink brandy - so did not enjoy a single drink on her holiday, she claimed. She explained that she would normally drink bottled lager or one Bacardi and Coke, but this would have cost her €9. 'By the time we paid £750 for the holiday, Euro 70 tourist tax for me and my daughter and an extra £450 for both of our meals, I could have been to the Caribbean on that', the furious tourist said. The Lido Corfu Sun Hotel have said Ms Edwards claims are 'inaccurate, exaggerated, and in many cases entirely false information'.
