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.

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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.

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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.

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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

Andy Burnham calls for ‘efficient and reliable’ public transport as he slams Northern rail services

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Andy Burnham has called for an ‘efficient and reliable’ public transport system as he slams Northern’s rail services for being ‘not good enough’.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester has been vocal about his condemning views of rail travel across Greater Manchester and the North West over the past couple of years, notably calling for widespread reforms across the board, and particularly taking aim at Avanti’s running of the West Coast Main Line – especially as regular delays and cancellations have become commonplace for many.

But now, Mr Burnham, along with a handful of other Mayors across the North, have written to the Government to highlight poor performance by Northern.

This comes after Mr Burnham called an emergency meeting of the Rail North Committee last Wednesday, which saw regional mayors and leaders seek “immediate assurances” from Northern after a spate of cancellations, overcrowding of services, and ‘Do Not Travel’ warnings on Sundays.

Greater Manchester now regularly sees between 30% and 40% of its services cancelled on Sundays, and in many cases, no replacement bus services or alternative travel methods have been provided.

Andy Burnham has called for ‘efficient and reliable’ public transport across the north / Credit: TfGM

The Committee members said they fear that, without intervention, the situation could get worse, and ultimately affect confidence amongst shoppers and travellers as we head into the busiest time of year.

“The situation must be reversed in the interest of passengers and the region’s businesses, especially those in the retail and hospital sectors,” the Committee concluded.

Some of the topics discussed in the Committee meeting were the fact that, within the past week alone, with it being half term for many in the region, a total of 1,600 trains were cancelled across the network, and there was a lack of mitigations in place, such as ticket acceptance with other operators, when this happened.

Infrastructure challenges, high staff sickness levels, and Northern’s reliance on staff working on rest days was also discussed.

“Efficient and reliable public transport is a critical enabler of economic growth,” Mr Burnham said.

“What we heard from Northern at the meeting of the Rail North Committee was not good enough for residents and businesses across the north. That is why, on behalf of the Rail North Committee, I have written to the Chancellor and the Secretary of State to urge them to support us to bring the service back to an acceptable level.”

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Mr Burnham concluded that “significant modernisation” is needed by Northern if they are to match the Committee’s ambitions for growth.

Featured Image – Northern

Travel & Tourism

This Manchester hotel has a Bonfire Night ‘escape’ package for pets to help keep them calm

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

One of Manchester’s most luxurious hotels is transforming into the ultimate pet refuge again over the firework season.

Bonfire Night is loved across the UK for the spectacular firework displays and all the festive-themed activities that go along with it, but the November annual event isn’t so fun for our four-legged friends, as fireworks can be frightening to pets due to loud bangs, flashing lights, and the unpleasant strong smell of spent explosives.

With multiple bangs occurring from numerous displays too, pets are rarely able to pinpoint where the booming explosions are coming from, only making it more terrifying for them.

This is why, after becoming a huge success following its launch last year, Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in the heart of the city centre has brought back its special ‘Bonfire Night Escape’ escape package, turning the already pet-friendly hotel into a firework-free sanctuary.

The hotel‘s year-round ‘PAWfect Stay’ package includes any dog staying at no extra cost, plus a pet tuckbox, a guide to the best dog-friendly places in the city, and a toy waiting for them in the room, but this fireworks season, pet owners will also get a luxury hamper including Pet Remedy’s ‘Party Season Survival Kit’

The kit comes together with a range of fast-acting products to help immediately in stressful situations such as fireworks, and includes calming spray, a plug diffuser, and some calming wipes too.

On top of that, dog owners can also take advantage of the hotel’s Music Concierge service, which allows guests to request a record player and vinyls to be placed in the room ahead of check in – with lots of classical and relaxing music records available to distract anxious pets from the noise of Bonfire Night celebrations.

Kimpton Clocktower Hotel has a Bonfire Night ‘escape’ package to help keep pets calm / Credit: Elisha Terada (via Unsplash)

The award-winning The Refuge Bar and Restaurant inside the hotel also offers a menu of carefully-curated dog treats throughout the week, as well as doggy Sunday roasts all Sunday.

David Lockhart, who is the General Manager at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, said he likes to think of the hotel as a “home-away-from-home for our guests”.

“Our top priority is making sure everyone is feeling safe and comfortable,” he added. “We can’t wait to welcome our November guests and help them care for their four-legged family members, giving them everything they need.”

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The Bonfire Night Escape package at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is available to book from Friday 1 November, subject to availability, and you can request the package via the hotel concierge or by emailing [email protected] to book.

Find out more here.

Featured Image – Jody Hartley (via Supplied)

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