It may sound strange to stay in a hotel in Scotland and find an excursion to an English attraction but the All Seasons excursion to Bamburgh Castle is an absolute must.
This gem of a venue is in fact slightly north of Selkirk but it is in England, courtesy a quirk of the English Scottish border which has a tendency to run northwards.
Bamburgh Castle is an ancient building and its history goes back for 3000 years. See the truly magnificent state rooms with a range of historical contents from all over Europe. There is so much to see and the owners have created a quite awesome experience for their visitors. The castle is a Grade 1 listed building and you can all about it on their own website accessible here https://www.bamburghcastle.com/
The castle is right on the coast in an elevated position and offers magnificent views in every direction.
Bamburgh has become particularly well known as the ancient town of Babbenburg, a place which features in the film The Last Kingdom and many artefacts and props from the film can be seen there.
There is even an aviation museum in the castle with details of little known information about Britain’s war time history.
After visiting the staterooms, there is the opportunity to buy prints from an extensive range which is on display and, of course, the gift shop where you can buy a whole range of items even down to locally made spirits like gin and rum – quite breath taking, literally!
The All Seasons excursion provides a minibus drive of about and hour and a half. The visit to the castle will take you from one to two hours, depending on the depth into which you want to go in studying the contents and there will be the drive back. A further hour or so is allowed to drop into the local pub in the village or take tea or indeed sample the fresh food at the castle’s own cafeteria.
The overall trip is designed to take six hours and the Philipburn all-electric minibuses are available for parties of up to 7, 8 if a child is included. Check with our concierge for current prices as these can vary depending on the time of year. If you cannot make a full complement of people, put your names down and we will see if we can encourage others to join you on a sharing basis.
You can read more about Bamburgh on Tripadvisor here https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g504035-d261433-Reviews-Bamburgh_Castle-Bamburgh_Northumberland_England.html
The Moffat Distillery
For a trip out with a difference why not try the Moffat Distillery? This is Scotland’s first modern wood fired distillery and they run tours of the distillery for groups from 5 to 16 – perfect with the hotel taxis which mean you can indulge in tasting their various lines which include whisky, gin and liqueurs without having to worry about drinking and driving.
Just an hour away from the Philipburn and with a tour lasting about 90 minutes you will experience some local liquor!
Or try one of their speciality tours or tasting experiences they offer blending workshops, cocktail workshops or just private tastings. Decide what you want and leave us to fix it. Price will depend on what you choose and number of persons attending.
Just check out the cocktails on the website!
Selkirk Distillery
Similar article can be written for Selkirk Distillery although it does not involve much travelling!
Rosslyn Chapel
The Philipburn is the perfect jumping off point for a visit to the famous Rosslyn Chapel, a working church, which is just an hour away by road. Situated just 7 miles south of Edinburgh city centre and close to the Scottish Borders, Rosslyn Chapel is open throughout the year. The chapel was featured in the Dan Brown novel, the Da Vinci code.
This remarkable building boasts the mysterious symbolism of its ornate stonework.
Legend has it that underneath the chapel, buried behind a stone wall and set back from the detailed wall carvings, is a spartan stone crypt. Buried even deeper is said to be the treasure of the Knights Templar. There is no solid evidence that suggests the Holy Grail is or ever was present at Rosslyn Chapel. Although attempts have been made to insert cameras to see inside the crypt, whenever a camera has gone in it has immediately ceased to function!
