Latest news with #HostellingScotland
Scottish Sun
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Five things to do in Glasgow and further afield this summer to entertain adults and kids alike
Here's five ideas for things to do in and around the Dear Green Place SUMMER'S COMING Five things to do in Glasgow and further afield this summer to entertain adults and kids alike Looking for summer plans? Glasgow's got you. From ceilidhs in the park and smoky BBQ takeovers to indie film gems and Highland adventures, the city's buzzing from June through August. Advertisement 5 People Make Glasgow - come and find out for yourself Here's what not to miss! Get your dancing shoes on for The Reeling Head to The Reeling and see some of Scotland's biggest names in Trad music take to the stage in Rouken Glen park. The 5,000-capacity event will see the Southside spot spring to life with world-class performances across two stages. Advertisement The event offers fun for all with a dedicated kids' area, 'The Weeling', as well as high-quality Scottish food and drink offerings from the likes of the popular Skye eatery Café Cùil. The festival is guaranteed to have you toe tapping and singing along all weekend. WHEN: 6-8th June WHERE: Rouken Glen Park, Glasgow PRICE: £49.50 - £120 (kids under 5 go free) 5 The Reeling is held in Rouken Glen Park Advertisement Enjoy your staycation for less with Hostelling Scotland With over 28 locations across the highlands, islands and lowlands, Hostelling Scotland has something to suit every traveller - from private en-suites to shared dorms and even exclusive hire options for larger groups. The majority of the youth hostels are licensed and offer a selection of food and drink, along with well-equipped self-catering kitchens, drying rooms and laundry facilities. Scots holiday park named one of best in world When: All summer! Where: Across Scotland. Price: More info here Advertisement Escape on a breathtaking bikepacking trip with Comrie Croft Only an hour's drive from Glasgow, Comrie Croft will have you fully kitted out for a Highland bikepacking adventure within minutes. That's the magic of Comrie Croft Journeys: Scotland's most seamless cycling escape. Based at a converted farmstead in the heart of Perthshire, they offer fully supported off-road trips through ancient woodlands, wild glens and lochside trails, with everything from bikes and bags to route planning and local tips sorted for you. Think of it as an all-inclusive, but on two wheels. Advertisement 5 Comrie Croft cycling When: All summer! Where: Braincroft, Crieff Price: More info here Take yourself to the Glasgow Film Theatre If you need a cool calm break from the sunshine (or the rain!), step inside the Glasgow FIlm Theatre for a summer of indie cinema. Advertisement A must-visit for lovers of arthouse and international film, the GFT regularly brings bold new voices to the big screen. This Spring/Summer don't miss Good One, the striking debut from US filmmaker India Donaldson. Recently nominated for Best First Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards, the film was picked up by UK distributor Conic and will hit the GFT on the 16th of May. Following a 17-year old girl on a backpacking trip with her dad and his friend, the story unpacks simmering tensions and teenage resilience. Fresh from Sundance and Cannes, Good One is the kind of quiet masterpiece GFT was made for! Advertisement When: Good One released on 16th May Where: Glasgow Film Theatre. Price: More info here 5 Glasgow Film Theatre Eat, drink and share stories at Meatopia 5 Meatopia hits Glasgow in June Advertisement Get your hands on some quality scran at the 'World's Best BBQ' Meatopia. Founded in the US by the late food writer Josh Ozersky, the meaty extravaganza is making its Scotland debut at SWG3 this June. Built around sustainability, high-quality ingredients and unforgettable flavour. Prepare to get your hands on high quality cuts cooked on an open flame by a stacked line up including El Perro Negros' Nick Watkins, fire cooking experts Melissa Thompson and Maureen Tyne, 2023 Scotland's chef of the year Calum Montgomery and many more. When: 6th-8th June Where: SWG3, Glasgow Price: More info here
The Guardian
18-02-2025
- The Guardian
‘When women get together in the outdoors, the energy is incredible': an adventure weekend in the Highlands
'Do you run in the dark?' 'How do you stop chafing?' 'Does menopause affect your flexibility?' 'What snacks do you take on the hill?' It's the first night of the inaugural 'Hostel Hoolie' – a women's outdoor adventure weekend in Braemer in the Cairngorms – and in a living room packed with 40 guests, the conversation is flowing thick and fast. Outside it's wild and windy; there have been snow-closed roads and rural diversions, but the long journeys are quickly forgotten. Most women have come alone, though you wouldn't know it. This weekend is a collaboration between two outdoor adventure companies: women's trail running and hillwalking specialist Girls on Hills, and The Adventure Syndicate, a trio of epic cyclists who put on madcap events on two wheels throughout the year. Both organisations frequently partner with Hostelling Scotland, and we're staying at the newly reopened Braemar Youth Hostel. Adding to the fun is yoga teacher Lindsay Warrack, and a hired sauna from Stravaig Saunas set up in the woods outside the hostel. Girls on Hills was launched in Glencoe in 2018 by outdoor instructors Keri Wallace and Nancy Kennedy as a way to address the gender disparity in trail running. Starting with just a couple of weekend courses, in 2023 the company delivered 98 events for women across the UK. Wallace says that since the pandemic there has been an increased demand for courses that include a social element. 'It's become a really big part of what we do,' she says, 'it's all about the camaraderie and getting to meet like-minded women. It's very relaxed, sociable and supportive, and there's a lot of peer learning.' Hostels make great bases as they are cost effective and have a community-minded set up, say both companies (and Hostelling Scotland reports a real shift in its customer demographic, with more women using them for outdoor adventures). Braemar proves perfect for our gathering with an expansive catering kitchen, two dining areas and a big living room that's nicer than many hotels. The excellent drying room makes light work of piles of wet shoes and soggy waterproofs. At the Hostel Hoolie, participants choose which activities to take part in, including morning yoga, full days' hillwalking, trail running, or cycling, and evening sessions in the sauna. Everything is optional. On the first night there's a meeting to learn about the activities and sign up. Walk leader Jess Williams says of her route: 'It's going to be wild, and we might not see anything.' Cycle leader, and the Adventure Syndicate founder, Lee Craigie makes similar promises: 'It'll be wet and cold and a wee bit grim in places.' The enthusiasm in the room remains undimmed. The dormitories are clean and warm with a mix of bunk beds and single beds. I bag a bunk in the smallest (sharing with only two others – the largest sleeps eight) tucked into the eaves of this former hunting lodge and sleep surprisingly well. The next morning after a yoga class I join the guided trail run, beginning with a session on winter kit and decision-making before we head out (key takeaways are the importance of navigation skills and having a plan to keep warm if someone gets injured – as well as plenty of snacks). From Braemar it's a short distance to Linn of Dee where our 12km route winds through the native pinewoods of Mar Lodge Estate, snowy mountain tops sometimes visible between the trees. At the snow line we pull microspikes over our trainers and practise running up and down icy slopes, learning safe winter descending techniques. There's a wide range of experience in the group, from ultra-marathon veterans to near beginners. The pace is relaxed and chatty, and the only race is for a seat by the fire at the bothy lunch stop. Night falls early so the evenings are long and unhurried. There's a strong presence in the local pub, Farquharson's, with a fierce Connect 4 challenge. At the hostel, soup putters on the stove and new friends stretch out in front of the fire, with wine, books and knitting. In the sauna, the conversation is about strength training, triathlons and massage, and cheering each other on as we take turns to dunk in the icy tin bath outside. Stories are swapped of the different days' activities, and future plans and routes are plotted. Over the course of the weekend I try things I'd typically shy away from, partner yoga for one, working together to ease into deep stretches, any qualms about personal space long discarded (I loved it). I also find myself taking an icy river dip with swim coach Penny Clay, the momentum of spirited women spurring me on, fuelled by joy and camaraderie. The increased demand for all-female community events is not about a lack of drive, Wallace is keen to stress. 'It's not all 'girls just want to have fun',' she says. 'Women want to do hard things, we want to push ourselves.' The Adventure Syndicate's co-director Alice Lemkes agrees: 'Women want to challenge themselves, but it doesn't have to always be within the traditional model of competition. We create an environment in which women can push their comfort zones and set new boundaries around their limits and their confidence.' The biggest growth area in the outdoors industry is women in their late 30s onwards, they report. While hillwalking, climbing and running are still mainly marketed to young people, both companies say their trips appeal to women who are a bit older and desperate to get out there and meet like-minded individuals. 'We're challenging the notion that you start to fall off a cliff edge in your 30s, and post-menopause you're just invisible to society,' says Lemkes. 'We're also hearing from women in their 60s and older who've never done anything like this before. That's also a really exciting demographic. It's a mindset shift. 'When women get together in the outdoors, the energy is just so incredible,' she adds. 'It's a lovely, positive, reinforcing loop. We want more of it, it's so nourishing.' She's right, I think, as a weekend packed with adventure, fun and community draws to a close. I definitely do want to come back for more. The trip was provided by Hostelling Scotland, Girls on Hills and The Adventure Syndicate. The inaugural Hostel Hoolie weekend cost was £150 (dates for the next one tbc). Girls on Hills 2025 events start at £65 for a one-day navigation course. The next Adventure Syndicate event is Boot Camp Aviemore, 7-11 March, £250. Stay at Braemar Youth Hostel from £20 a night
