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. 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.
First-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to open at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
In news that we feel many Mancs and travellers all-round have been waiting on for a long time, the well-known British chain, JD Wetherspoon, will be opening its first-ever pub at Manchester Airport.
That’s right: soon that first airport pint of the holiday could actually be a relatively cheap one.
While Wetherspoons are no strangers to popping up in terminals across the UK and Ireland, they’ve never done so here in Manchester despite having three, yes THREE, in Gatwick alone.
Not for much longer, though, as soon T2 will be lending more than 3,000 square feet of its prime leisure and retail real estate to a new Greater Manchester ‘Spoons’.
Posting on social media, the airport wrote: “Wetherspoon comes to Manchester Airport this September! The pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 seats.
“This will become the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of our decade-long £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. It will be named ‘The Belle Vue’, in a nod to Manchester’s historic showground [now a sports complex and leisure hub].
“It was a focal point for social life in the city from the Victorian period up until 2020, when the final event was held at Belle Vue stadium. The design of the pub is inspired by the history of Belle Vue and the sporting culture of the North West of England. We look forward to welcoming you all in September!”
While a lot of money has been pumped into T2’s refurb as a whole over the past few years, it remains unclear just how much this particular new addition will cost; we do know that great sums were set aside for the launch of the Great Northern Market last year.
The inaugural Manchester Airport Spoons is just the latest in a series of major renovations.
As mentioned, the company already operate several up and down the country – 10 airport pubs, to be specific – but this will be the first in the North West.
Speaking on the news, JD Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said in a statement: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
With Manchester Airport adding a dozen new routes to its roster this summer, you can expect to see even more people flying in and out than ever – no doubt having already polished off a cut-price pint or two beforehand.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/CGIs (publicity pictures via Manchester Airport)
Travel & Tourism
IRONMAN Bolton guide 2026 – course map, key times, travel advice and all the essential info
Danny Jones
The annual IRONMAN competition here in Greater Manchester has come back around for 2026, with the 70.3-mile Bolton challenge returning for a fourth editionthis weekend.
Just the third consecutive iteration of the middle-distance triathlon since the event became permanent once again in 2024, this incredible feat of endurance still draws just as much support as the 14 full-length versions that concluded the year prior – if not maybe even more.
From a spectator’s point of view, the shorter (but still ridiculously impressive length) arguably makes for a much better day out cheering from the sidelines overall, and these superhuman specimens definitely need as much support as they can get.
With that in mind, we thought we’d put together a list of all the important information ahead of the race, from details around the three stages themselves to the whereabouts in Bolton it will pass through, guidance when it comes to getting there, and much more.
IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton 2026: everything you need to know
The IRONMAN route through Bolton – course maps, transitions and more
For starters, we’re sure most, if not all, of you taking this on are already fully familiar with the routes they’ll be taking over the course of Sunday, 7 June, but perhaps for the select few who haven’t and the benefit of those cheering on from the sidelines, here’s how it looks…
The swim
First up is the open-water swim across Pennington Flash Country Park and nature reserve, which is technically located in Leigh, but this will be your first foray over Wigan way on the day.
Bolton Ironman bike ride course
Moving on to the cycling section after the first transition, the IRONMAN official global series-approved course largely hasn’t changed all that much in recent memory, with the route taking you through parts of the borough, including Bolton centre, Farnworth, Westhoughton, Lostock, Middlebrook and more.
You will also head towards Leigh and Pennington, once again, as well as Atherton and near Golborn before making your way back over to Bolton proper.
Running route
Finally, things will be rounding off with a half marathon right in the heart of the old Lancashire town, with the approximately 21.1 km course seeing you complete two loops before crossing the finish line in the shadow of Bolton Town Hall. Box office stuff.
You can also see each of the transition maps and download all course sections to your GPX right HERE.
2026 event schedule and estimated timings
With the sold-out Night Run and IRONKIDS tie-in events taking place the day prior, following sign-ins on the Friday evening (5 Jun), full IRONMAN 70.3 athlete registration will be open from 8am on Saturday, with the check-in at the aforementioned Town Hall closing at 3pm sharp.
Bag and bike check-ins for RED and BLUE groups for the first two transitions from 8 and 9am, respectively; each will close around 4pm, so once again, don’t wait around and put any of this off.
Our advice, as always with these things: get there early and have it done and out of the way as soon as possible so you can focus on the long couple of days ahead.
There will also be an official swim practice held at Pennington Flash from 11am-1pm for registered athletes only, so take that into consideration, too.
As for the race day itself, times will obviously vary between participants, but here’s a breakdown of the activity blocks and when people need to be present for pick-ups by the shuttle buses, etc:
You can consult the entire event schedule in full HERE
Road closure and travel info
Now, as travel advice, it goes without saying that an event this big and spanning multiple Greater Manc areas doesn’t go ahead without serious planning and preparation infrastructure-wise.
With that in mind, as you can see above, there are shuttle buses available for both IRONMAN challengers and their fans, with pick-up points in central Bolton and from Leigh Sports Village (LSV).
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As always with big events like this, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) are advising people to take public methods of transportation wherever possible, especially given the multiple road closures and diversions over the weekend.
You’ll find all the specific diversion details in here.
Getting there by train
Bolton is well connected to all main railway stops in Manchester and is only roughly a 20-minute journey from the city; Bolton train station itself is only a 10-minute walk from the Town Hall, as well.
By bus
As for hopping on a bus, there are various Bee Network lines and other services across the region that will take you into Bolton town centre. You can plan your journey (with diverted routes taken into account) right HERE.
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Parking
If you must drive, please be advised of the road closures mentioned above, and as for car parks, you will find spaces at the following locations:
LSV – Over 1,000 free car parking spaces are available on the site; access to these car parks is via Sale Way, situated directly off the A579 Atherleigh Way.
Bolton town centre – Various designated parking spaces across the town, all are subject to charge, with the option to pre-book some spaces in advance.
Spectator spots, volunteering, and other supporter info
Last but not least, getting that extra energy from those standing roadside or even on the shore for the duration of IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton is essential for these legends to make it through to the end, so if you’re spectating on the day, here’s some extra advice.
Fan hotspots include Atherleigh Way for the swim start and a good view of the cycling course; the same goes for The Retreat on Chorley New Road for the bike and running routes. Meanwhile, The Crown pub in Horwich is a popular stop-off during the two-wheeled action, as is the Old Kiln Lane Climb.
St Luke’s Church in Lowton is also another great viewing zone, with coffees being handed out to plen ty of supporters, too, and of course, anything near Le Mans Crescent or into Bolton town centre for the heart of the whole IRONMAN Festival weekend is always a great atmosphere.
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For instance, there’s also a brand-new expo village and fan area, where people can enjoy everything from poster making and temporary tattoos to photo opps, bib decoration, as well as various other games and activities for all ages – not to mention food and drink across the IRONFAN area.
All we have left to say is good luck to everyone taking on the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 in Bolton this Sunday. It’s truly inspiring stuff, and we sincerely hope you get lots of noise and buzz from those watching on.
Daisy Jackson -
3rd April 2024 
