Travel & Tourism

Balmoral Castle’s website crashes as £100 tickets to visit royal retreat sell out

It's never offered public tours inside before.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 3rd April 2024

Balmoral Castle will open its doors to the public for the very first time this summer – but despite charging a hefty £100 per head, demand has tipped the landmark’s website over the edge.

Those hoping to book a guided tour of the Royal Family’s Highland retreat have found themselves stuck in virtual queues as people rushed to buy tickets.

The incredible castle has long allowed visitors to walk its grounds and huge estate, but visitors have never been able to see inside its beautiful rooms.

For the first time since it was completed in 1855, experienced guides will be leading private tours through Balmoral Castle’s historic halls and rooms.

The tour includes access to the ballroom, where a collection of King Charles’s watercolours are displayed, capturing Balmoral, Highgrove and Sandringham.

There also outfits worn by Charles, Camilla, the late Queen Elizabeth II (who passed away at Balmoral in 2022) and the Queen Mother.

The tours will teach people about the origins of the castle, from the purchase of it by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert all the way through to the present day, and how the rooms are used by members of the Royal Family.

But Balmoral Castle is a historically important and therefore expensive estate to maintain, and the ticket prices reflect that – much to many people’s horror.

Balmoral Castle's website crashed after releasing £100 tickets to go on a tour of the building
Balmoral Castle’s website crashed after releasing £100 tickets to go on a tour of the building. Credit: Unsplash, Martin Bennie

Prices for the tours start from £100, or go up to £150 if you want to chuck in afternoon tea.

Despite the pricey admission fee, tickets for Balmoral Castle tours appear to have already sold out.

There were a limited number put on sale today – only 40 issued each day for tours between a trial period of 1 July to 4 August.

Balmoral Castle announced the limited run of dates to test how the building copes with increased footfall.

And then the doors will close again ahead of King Charles’ annual break to the Scottish estate in the summer.

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Featured image: Unsplash, Cassie098

Travel & Tourism

The latest on Therme Manchester opening date as construction finally begins on huge wellbeing resort

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The latest on Therme Manchester opening date as construction finally begins on huge wellbeing resort

The build of Therme Manchester, which is set to be the UK’s largest wellbeing resort, is finally underway, with a loose opening date announced.

The construction phase of the massive spa project begins this month – when it completes, it will be made up of 10 pools, 15 waterslides, sustainable gardens and a diverse range of restaurants and cafes.

The entire thing will be kept at a balmy 33ºC all year round using advanced technology, with warm water lagoons, botanical gardens and palm trees giving the site a real tropical feel.

Therme Manchester was initially touted as a £250m project that would complete in 2025 – it’s now up to £450m and is scheduled to complete for the end of 2028.

It marks one of the most significant building developments to ever take place in the North.

Last week, a Beyond Groundbreaking event was held at the site of the new wellbeing resort near the Trafford Centre, bringing together local leaders, partners, and community members.

There, it was announced that Therme Manchester is set to create around 2,500 direct construction jobs, as well as 650 staff positions to operate the resort when it opens.

The business has already supported initiatives across the city, including the Manchester Marathon, NHS programmes and cultural events.

The latest on Therme Manchester opening date as construction finally begins on huge wellbeing resort
The latest on Therme Manchester opening date as construction finally begins on huge wellbeing resort

Therme Manchester is setting out to have a ‘significantly lower’ carbon footprint than other spa experiences, helped along by locally-sourced materials, and innovative construction methods such as air source heat pumps and on-site 3D printing.

As well as state-of-the-art swimming and thermal bathing areas, there’ll be spa and fitness zones, immersive digital art, sustainable gardens and a diverse range of restaurants and cafes.

Professor David Russell, Therme UK CEO said: “Today marks the official beginning of a once-in-a-generation project for Manchester and the North West.

“Therme Manchester will be a place for everyone – a unique destination where wellbeing, sustainability, art and culture come together. Our vision is to make a lasting positive impact: creating jobs, supporting communities, and helping people live healthier, happier lives for years to come.”

James Whittaker, Managing Director of Peel Waters said: “We’re thrilled to have reached this pivotal moment as work begins on site at Therme Manchester.

The site of Therme Manchester in Trafford
The site of Therme Manchester in Trafford

“It marks the culmination of years of close collaboration between Peel Waters and Therme Group, an extraordinary partnership built on shared values and wanting to deliver the very best for our community.

“From our very first meeting, we knew Therme’s vision would be transformational, and together we’ve worked tirelessly to get to this moment and start the build of this world-class wellness destination in TraffordCity.

“Therme Manchester will be a true gamechanger not just for TraffordCity, but for Greater Manchester and the North. It will regenerate a key site, create thousands of jobs, and deliver a landmark experience that promotes health, happiness, and connection.

“We’re very proud to be part of a project that will completely redefine leisure and wellbeing in the UK and Europe.”

An aerial view of how Therme Manchester will look
An aerial view of how Therme Manchester will look

Neil Martin, Chief Executive at Sir Robert McAlpine, said: “We are proud to be Construction Manager for Therme Manchester, a project that aligns with our commitment to sustainability, technical excellence and making a meaningful difference to communities.

“We look forward to delivering this world-class destination that will transform wellbeing and benefit TraffordCity and the wider region for generations to come.”

A spokesperson from Trafford Council said: “The Therme project is fantastic news for Trafford, and I am delighted that construction work has started on this one-in-a-lifetime scheme. The resort will attract millions of visitors each year and will provide hundreds of construction jobs and full-time jobs for the borough.

“Therme Manchester is a fantastic, visionary development and it supports several of our key commitments – helping provide a thriving economy, improving health and wellbeing and regenerating a vacant brownfield site in a sustainable location.”

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Featured image: Supplied

Travel & Tourism

Shocking new study reveals that almost 100 people a day are caught drink-driving

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Nearly 100 drivers a day in Britain have had ‘drink-drive endorsements’ added to their licences in the past three years, a shocking new study has revealed.

Alarmingly, it’s people between the ages of 25 and 39 that are the most frequently penalised for drink-driving – with around 48,000 drivers in this age bracket being handed endorsements, followed closely by 40,000 drivers aged 40 to 65.

In contrast, only 15,000 drivers aged 17 to 24 were penalised, and a mere 3,000 over-65s received points on their licence between 2022 and 2024.

It’s all according to a study by road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, using data obtained from the DVLA via a Freedom of Information request.

A shocking new study has revealed that almost 100 people a day are caught drink-driving / Credit: Pexels

Drivers caught over the alcohol limit face automatic licence revocation, potential imprisonment, and unlimited fines, while the endorsement remains on a driving licence for 11 years.

Another shocking revelation from the study is that fatalities linked to drink-driving have climbed over the past decade, peaking in 2022 at the highest level in 13 years – with the RAC saying this trend ‘raises alarms’ about the effectiveness of current road safety measures.

RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis called it ‘completely unacceptable’.

“These disturbing figures show the twin evils of driving under the influence of drink and drugs are behind a frightening number of lives lost on the UK’s roads every year,” he commented.

A third of Brits want police to immediately ban drink drivers at the roadside / Credit – Vladimir Proskurovskiy (via Unsplash)

“A new approach to tackling these repugnant crimes is desperately needed. We hope this will be a key part of the Government’s forthcoming road safety strategy, [as] we’ve consistently been calling for a change in approach when it comes to reducing alcohol-related road deaths, as it’s clear the status quo isn’t working.”

The RAC has been campaigning for courts being given the powers to mandate the fitting of alcohol interlocks (‘alcolocks’) to offenders’ vehicles to prevent them driving drunk again.

It is also ‘supportive’ of the police being given the powers to immediately disqualify any driver who fails a drink or drugs test at the roadside.

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“This has the potential to reduce drink-drive casualties, especially among habitual offenders,” Rod concluded. 

Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons

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