Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts

Saturday, 26 July 2014

Review - Animal UV Swim Shirts from The Beach Factory

Being fair skinned myself I am very careful with both my girls in the sun. Usually they are smothered in sun cream (making them even whiter than they normally are!) but at least I know they are protected.
 
Before going on holiday this year, I was searching for something suitable for the girls to wear...we were off to Majorca so I knew it would definitely be hotter than here! Not hard, to be honest!
I stumbled across The Beach Factory which stock a large range of UV shirts, sun suits and hats.  They offer a wide range for kids and even adults too - I'd definitely consider a sun shirt for me in time for next year's holiday, as my shoulders, back and chest always end up a little pink despite me smothering myself in cream!
 
I was lucky enough to receive these Animal UV shirts for my girls (currently on sale for £14.95, normally £18) and matching sun hats (normally £13, now £9.95) to review.
 
 
I used to think that as tops like this provided such good coverage, that they would be heavy.  These are certainly lightweight but still give confidence that your little one is protected.
They have long sleeves and a high funnel neck, giving as much coverage as possible. There is a handy zip at the back meaning they are easy to slip on and off especially when wet.
When we deviated away from the pool for snacks or drinks, we tended to put the girls in a dry cover up. As a result, these tops tended to be left on the sun loungers for half an hour or so to dry in the sun.  Due to the lightweight fabric,  they dried really quickly.
 
The hats are made from a thick cotton and have a wide brim...ideal for keeping sun off your little one's necks.
The designs on these are really funky and coordinated well with the tops...the only problem I had was the girls choosing which one they wanted to wear!
 
Overall, these were a great addition to our suitcase and definitely a summer essential.
I'm hoping the girls don't grow too much so we can dig them out again for our next sunny getaway!
  

Monday, 31 March 2014

Review - Hotel Chocolat Easter Pick Me Up

It's the time of year where all the supermarkets have a tonne of chocolate in, everyone is tired and looking forward to the better weather and what a great way to bring a spring to your step than Hotel Chocolat's Easter Pick Me Up.

The lovely people at Hotel Chocolat sent me this lovely little treat set for us to review. There was a great selection inside...Raspberry Zinger Egglets, Salted Caramel Egglets and White Praline Bunnies.

Normally I'm a praline kinda girl but I really enjoyed both types of egglets...it was nice to try something a bit different for a change and the raspberry within them was really refreshing.

The girls' favourite were the praline bunnies. They were really rich and of course nutty, which I love!

This set would make a lovely gift for adults and children alike and certainly lifted our spirits on a dull and wet spring day!

This retails at £13 and what makes this even better is that it was completely gluten free. What more could I ask for?!

TGI Fridays Goes Gluten Free

So excited to hear that TGI Fridays will soon be offering gluten free burger buns on their new menu which will be launched over the next few days.

I was lucky enough to sample one of their new buns on my recent visit and have to say it was lovely being able to eat a burger without having to be 'bunless'! I had a French Canadian burger which was delicious.

Looking forward to seeing what their new menu has to offer!

Tuesday, 8 October 2013

Review - The Enchanted Forest, Pitlochry

We're continually looking for new fun things to do with the girls and had made a promise to ourselves that we would get out and about to see more of the country we live in.
When we saw The Enchanted Forest advertised, it seemed right up our street!

The Enchanted Forest is a multi award winning light and sound show set in Faskally Wood in Pitlochry, Perthshire. It has been running for the past few years and we were lucky enough to go along to this years show, absorb.

The first show starts at 6.30pm - this is the one we opted for, as we weren't sure how tired the girls would be (they're 5 now), so we thought we would err on the side of caution.
At around 6pm, we started to wait outside Fishers Hotel on the main drag within Pitlochry. Included in your ticket price is a return coach transfer to the forest itself - this is so cars with their noisy engines and headlights don't ruin your experience.

There were plenty of stewards on hand at the hotel to direct us into line, out tickets were taken and our hands stamped with a cute little leaf, before we boarded the comfy bus for our short journey.  A nice touch was a short 'Health & Safety' CD which was played - a humorous way to remind everyone not to be silly!

We were the first ones off the bus and were greeted by friendly stewards at the entrance to the forest.  It was still quite light when we got there, however was starting to slowly get darker as we walked in.


On our approach, we got a waft of hot dogs and burgers coming from a discreet stall set further down the path - all very reasonably priced. The lentil soup comes highly recommended :)
The girls also noticed some light up balloons, which gave them something to lead the way when it started to get dark - again well priced at £1.



The forest itself, was very pretty. This year the show is called absorb - with the theme being centred around orbs. The music and lights together, just worked so well. Very mesmerising.  The light and sound show is spectacular and my photos don't seem to do it justice.



As we walked round the paths (which are all lit so you don't fall into the loch!), it started to become dark and we could appreciate the light show even more.
Across the centre of the forest is an illuminated bridge - the girls called this the Fairy Bridge and apparently was their favourite part.



We were informed by one of the stewards that there was a Storytelling Yurt located further round the path, so we headed here to be welcomed into a lovely cosy tent, where we made ourselves comfy and listened to a tall tale of a giant and a hero prince. The girls really enjoyed this little time out before we set on our way again.
Outside the yurt was another small food stall selling hot chocolates, coffees, muffins and even mulled wine. So definitely something to warm your bones :)

Within another 45 mins or so, our girls were getting tired, so we left the forest around 8.30pm (after squeezing in another visit to the Fairy Bridge and catching the Orb show in the middle of the loch)



The bus picked us up right where it had dropped us off and took us back to the hotel, again with a humorous 'de-brief CD' played :)
On arriving back at the hotel, the queue for the buses was enormous - mostly adults at this time of night, however I dare say the buses don't manage to transport as quickly as they're also picking visitors up and bringing them back.
We made the short walk back to the car, and changed into our PJs (well at least the girls did - wish I had done the same!) before we made the 2hr journey home.

Overall, this is a great attraction to visit and at the time of year, when not much else is on (after the summer and before Panto season at Christmas). Its all outdoors, meaning you get lots of lovely fresh air too.


We were lucky enough to receive complimentary tickets to the show, however family ticket prices start at £35 for a family of four (2 adults and 2 kids under 16) and can be purchased on the Enchanted Forest website here.

We'll definitely be returning in the future and look forward to seeing whats on offer next year.

Hints:

  • Try to find a parking space near the Fishers Hotel, so you don't have too far to walk when you get off the bus.
  • Go nice and early if you have children - it gives plenty of time to wander about the forest before it gets busier.
  • There are only 2 lots of toilets in the forest - one at the entrance, the other at the yurt, so make sure your little ones make a pitstop to avoid any mad running in the dark to prevent an accident!
  • Fishers Hotel also appear to do a meal deal in conjunction with the Enchanted Forest -  £9.95 for adults and half price for kids. We didn't eat here, however noticed this on the welcome board outside the front door.
  • Dress appropriately for the weather - we luckily had it dry but did have wellies with us and can imagine the paths may get a bit muddy if it had to rain.
The Enchanted Forest is running from Friday 4th until Sunday 27th October 2013, so still lots of time to book tickets to go!



Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Review - Palmer's Dark Chocolate & Peppermint Lip Butter

Winter makes my lips horribly dry and I feel I always need to apply lip balms continuously to keep any sort of moisture in them.

So when a friend on Twitter recommended Palmer's Dark Chocolate & Peppermint lip butter, I was keen to try.

The lip butter comes in a handy tube, which oozes out really slowly meaning you don't squirt out more than you need. The butter itself, has an amazing taste - think After Eight mints all squished up - so yummy!

It's very moisturising and as it says on the tube, leaves your lips lovely, soft and glossy.

A great find and very long lasting. I've certainly found a trusty little companion for this winter.

And now that I am on a health kick, it's great to have that little chocolate fix without ruining my diet!

Review - MoneySupermarket's Britain's Best Days Out - Amazonia

It’s winter. The weather is rubbish. And all anyone wants at the this time of year is a holiday. So when we had the chance to visit a tropical rainforest, we jumped at the chance! OK, so it wasn’t a lovely 2 week long holiday to some far flung place, but as part of MoneySupermarket’s Britain's Best Day Out. We were very lucky to receive MoneySupermarket Days Out Vouchers for a family pass to Amazonia, a Rainforest experience within M&Ds Theme Park near Motherwell, Scotland.

We have been to the zoo and farms with the girls before, so we were pretty certain they would enjoy seeing some animals and I was hopeful they would even take part in the handling sessions which are run.

On arriving at Amazonia, you access through M&Ds park, which can be quite costly if you don’t walk quickly! Lots of games to play, carousel, bowling and sweet machines.
The building which Amazonia itself is housed in, looks quite tired, however it is ultimately, a massive greenhouse so can't be too fancy.

On entering we were told we could attend a handling session, where the girls could handle tarantulas, snakes, frogs and lizards to name a few. At only £1 each per session (a paying adult must accompany any children), this was quite reasonable, however it’s possibly something which Amazonia could look to include in their overall ticket cost. We arrived at around 11.45am and the next handling session was at 1.30pm.

At the entrance, everyone is encouraged to leave any jackets in lockers provided – these aren’t secure, so I would recommend removing anything of value and ensure you take this with you.



On entering the ‘rainforest’, its lovely and warm with a selection of animals to see. The ground can be a little wet due to the watering of the plants etc, so hold onto any little ones hands as you go round.
Our girls were interested in seeing the snakes and spiders, which we saw as soon as we went in.


In addition, there were parrots, turtles, caymens, monkeys and a gorgeous toucan with his brightly coloured beak and feathers – this was my favourite!







We also saw leaf cutting ants marching back and forward and there was a separate nocturnal section for those animals who preferred the dark.
The girls were a bit wary of going in here as it was so dark, however once in, they were interested to know what was inside.

We managed to see the fruit bats just at feeding time, which meant we learned some facts about them. Did you know there are 3 types of bat – insect eating bats, fruit bats and vampire bats – luckily the ones we saw were fruit bats and we were able to see them tucking into a selection of fresh fruit.


One of my girls doesn’t particularly like loud noises, so she was finding the squawking of the parrots a little too much and after about an hour, we were ready to leave.



To be honest, I think we would have struggled to spend much more time here, as you really only go and see all of the animals once.





We were disappointed that it was still a while to wait before the next handling session – this is something which would have been good to do, however due to the time we went to Amazonia, we would have had to wait another 45 minutes for the session.
This is worth bearing in mind when you go along – try to time your visit so you can also attend a handling session when you’re there, as after you have paid your extra £1 per person, it is non refundable.

After seeing the animals, there is also a small gift shop, which the girls enjoyed having a look around in.

Overall we enjoyed our visit, however I wouldn’t base a full day out around Amazonia alone. We struggled to fill the hour we were there and I would suggest that if finances allow, you incorporate your visit with perhaps some bowling, or a go on a few of the rides, as this will also allow you flexibility for attending the handling sessions if they are later in the day.








Saturday, 12 January 2013

Review - InStyler Styling Tool


I struggle with my hair every morning...it's naturally curly so trying to get it straight and smooth (and keeping it that's way), can be a challenge!

The lovely people at InStyler kindly sent my an InStyler Styling Tool to try out.



It is a lovely glossy red colour and comes with an instructional DVD and booklet which is really useful.

I've used hair straighteners for as long as I can remember but never ones with an in built brush and rotating plate.

The tool heats up in a few minutes...a bit longer than my usual straighteners however there are three separate heat settings dependant on your hair type and what you want to do with your hair.

I find my own hair fairly easy to straighten, as I've been doing it so long. However as soon as any sort of heat or moisture gets to it, it curls again!

Recently my twin daughters who are 5, are taking more notice of how they want to look and with the number of parties they go to at the weekends, it's nice to do something different with their hair.

The InStyler promises to add volume and make your hair sleek and shiny, which it does. However you can also use it to curl your hair. I tried this on my daughters hair and it worked a treat. Lauren's hair is normally a bit wavy but always a bit all over the place. Using the InStyler gave her a lovely 50s style curl in her hair...very grown up looking.


Olivia's hair is naturally quite curly, but unless I use lots of product on it, it can tend to frizz. Again I used the InStyler to curl her hair, in a bit of a tighter curl. It defined her curls more and made them shiny and sleek...she loved it! 



We'll definitely be using this more often, especially over the summer to create pretty summer hairstyles.

More info can be found at http://www.instyler.co.uk





Friday, 19 October 2012

Review - Pizza Hut Gluten Free Pizza

A friend on Twitter recently posted that they had been to Pizza Hut for their new gluten free pizza base. I had no idea Pizza Hut were offering gluten free food, so since we hadn't been for a while, we decided to go and check it out.

Whilst I'm not on an entirely gluten free diet, the majority of things I now eat are restricted in the gluten they contain.
Previously going to Pizza Hut, would've meant enjoying a delicious pepperoni pizza but then suffering afterwards with stomach pains, so we haven't been for ages.

We went at 3pm as we knew this is when Pizza Hut did their Happy Hour...pizza/pasta plus a side, unlimited salad and a bottomless drink for £6 - bargain!

On being seated in the restaurant, we were handed the menus and I asked if it would be a problem to have a gluten free base on this deal. The waitress went to check and was disappointed to be told they couldn't do the gluten free base in the happy hour deal. Unsure why, as it's the same size of pizza offered, however I ordered from the main menu whilst my husband ate from the Happy Hour menu.

I ordered the BBQ Meat Feast pizza without cheese, on a gluten free base.
Having eaten a base similar to this before, I wasn't expecting much, but the base was lovely and thin, and not overly dry or crispy. It was similar to the Italian base and the topping was tasty.

Overall I was really impressed and will definitely go back again. It would have been good for this to be included in their deals as gluten intolerant customers should be able to enjoy this as any other diner. However I do understand that Pizza Hut are still trialling the gluten free base and hopefully will be introduced as standard across all their options.

Monday, 24 September 2012

Review - The Scotsman Hotel Afternoon Tea...Gluten Free

As I've mentioned before, I am trying to cut down on the amount of gluten I eat. When I heard that The Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh were now doing a gluten free afternoon tea, I was really excited!



I love cakes but usually after eating them I feel a bit yucky. So when the lovely team at The Scotsman gave me the opportunity to sample a complimentary gluten free afternoon tea, I jumped at the chance!

Head chef Paul Hart, has teamed up with Genius, who do a range of gluten free breads, to offer this delicious afternoon tea.

My husband and I were in Edinburgh for an overnight to celebrate our anniversary and decided to visit The Scotsman during our trip.

                               

The Scotsman itself, is a lovely hotel and The North Bridge Brasserie is equally as stunning. With rich wood panelling on the walls and small cosy tables, it's the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city for some yummy treats.

The attentive waiting staff showed us to a perfectly set table and we opted for the gluten free afternoon tea as well as a regular one for my husband.



On arrival, the stands were both filled with a fabulous selection of crustless sandwiches, cakes, scones, clotted cream and a choice of Wilkin & Sons preserves on the table.

I have tried gluten free products before and to be honest, have thought they were pretty dry and bland, so I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I wasn't to be disappointed.

On the bottom tier of the stand were a selection of sandwiches on both white and brown breads...cheddar cheese & pickle, honey roast Ayrshire ham & Arran mustard, egg mayonnaise with watercress and delicious smoked Scottish salmon with a herb cream cheese.



On the middle and top tiers a variety of mouth watering cakes...a moist strawberry & ginger cake decorated with a chocolate curl, a big slice of mocha & dark chocolate loaf, a delicate lemon curd meringue, a caramelised banana macaron, lemon & raisin pancakes and a fresh from the oven fruit scone. Strawberry and raspberry jams and a pot of clotted cream were the perfect accompaniments.

My husband too had the same selection of sandwiches on regular bread, as well as a fruit scone, lemon curd meringue, but also had lemon & poppyseed loaf, chocolate cupcake and a few others too. An absolute feast for both of us!

Under normal circumstances if I had eaten this amount of cakes and sandwiches, my stomach would be beginning to suffer, however after eating all of this (despite feeling I would have to roll out of the hotel) I felt great!

The afternoon teas are priced at £16.95 per person served with a selection of teas & coffees, however there is also the option of adding a glass of Prosecco or Champagne for an extra special treat.

It's great to see hotels and restaurants catering for those intolerant to gluten and we will definitely be returning to the Scotsman for another afternoon tea in the near future. My birthday is coming up at the end of October, so a perfect excuse!

Sunday, 2 September 2012

Sweet & Savoury...a heavenly combination

So I've been on a diet recently, which has been quite challenging at times and have not always managed to stay on the wagon.

One of the days I fell of that wagon was yesterday. Not a very diet friendly day, including a McDonalds breakfast, some doughnuts and later a trip to Tesco, just meant disaster.

I've been introduced recently to (and I'm now a lover of) Sweet & Salted popcorn , so when I saw this bar of Lindt Milk Chocolate with a Touch of Sea Salt, I just had to try it.

Lindt is one of my favourite chocolates...there is just never enough of it! This newly released flavour is just amazing. Squares of creamy milk chocolate, with small flakes of sea salt throughout. The perfect combination of sweet and savoury.

If you haven't tried it yet, you have to. I promise you won't regret it (but your diet might!)

Monday, 23 July 2012

Tyrrells Tasty Treats

So everyone loves going to the cinema, but the thing I hate is choosing between popcorn. Sweet. Or salted. Sweet. Or salted. Normally I end up going salted (and then munch my way through a bag of Minstrels too) so when I came across this bag of Tyrrells Sweet & Salty popcorn, my taste buds started a-tingling.



Now this doesn't solve the whole sweet/salted dilemma at the cinema, as it's nice to have a nice big box to share when you're there. But for those cosy nights in, in front of the tv, this bag is perfect.

The popcorn is light and crisp, with just the right balance of both sweet and savoury. It makes it very more'ish and before you know it, the whole bag is finished.

Now my only problem, is two sets of tiny popcorn loving hands who try to get their mitts on some. I really must work on finding a better hiding place for these the next time I buy some. Or wait until the cover of darkness before I munch my way through my next bag.



Monday, 16 July 2012

Summer Scents Good Enough to Eat!

So I've been away from blogging for a while, but I've been very busy...making cupcakes, getting a new job, going to Disneyland - just the usual!

On our recent trip to Disneyland Paris (more on that later), we had some time to spend in Duty Free in Charles de Gaulle airport.  With spare Euros in my purse and time to kill, I went to the Fragrance section and perused the hundreds of perfumes they had available.  It was Paris after all, so I expected a good selection.

I have already had two DKNY fragrances before, however this pretty pastel coloured box caught my eye. DKNY have introduced this Creamy Meringue Limited Edition EDP, in their iconic apple shaped bottle, to their Delicious range.  With a vibrant and fresh lemony scent, this is perfect for summer. Lovely, light and not overly citrusy, this is definitely one I will be keeping in my handbag over the next few months.


Also as part of this 'Sweet Delicious' range is 'Tart Key Lime' and 'Pink Macaroon', both in pretty pastel green and pink bottles.  This range is inspired by cupcakes and general cakey goodness - in my opinion they have managed to capture the 'flavour' and smell of Lemon Meringue Pie perfectly in this fragrance.

Yummy!

Spotlight On: Patisserie Valerie

After a recent trip to Edinburgh, I stumbled across what I can only describe as a shop that dreams are made of...Patisserie Valerie.

The shop situated on Rose Street in Edinburgh, offers a fantastic selection of delicate and delicious cakes and patisserie right in the centre of Scotland's capital.

The recently opened shop and cafe, is the 56th Patisserie Valerie to be opened in the UK and the second in Scotland (the other shop is situated on North Bridge, Edinburgh).  Founded in 1926 by Madam Valerie after setting up her first shop in London's Soho, the business has grown and is now branching out across the UK.

The selection of cakes on offer in the shop is to die for...from chocolate croissants as quick breakfast treat on the way to the office, fruit tarts and mille feuille, to magnificent celebration cakes.

I treated myself and my girls (who when arrived at the window of the shop, did nothing but stare in amazement!) to a slice of Black Forest and Double Chocolate cake.

The Black Forest was a light chocolate sponge, filled with cream and black cherries, topped with a chocolate curl, Patisserie Valerie chocolate disc and more cream.



The Double Chocolate slice was a generous helping of rich chocolate cream sandwiched in between dark chocolate sponge, with a whole profiterole on top for extra decadence!



Patisserie Valerie has an online ordering service for their celebration cakes, which look out of this world - I must remember to drop enough hints to my husband to order one of these for my birthday!

We unfortunately didn't have time to sit in the cafe on this visit, however on our next trip to Edinburgh, I will definitely be making a plan to enjoy a slice (or two!) when there.

Thursday, 15 September 2011

Review - Good Crieff...what a stay!

It's not often we get the chance to get away, and to get away without the girls is even more of a treat (thanks Mum!), so we jumped at the chance of an overnight stay at Crieff Hydro Hotel when our friends were getting married there.

Crieff Hydro has always been a hotel that has appealed to me.  I had heard so many positive stories about it - the main attraction was that it was very family orientated. But would loads of kids running about spoil our nice quiet getaway?

Crieff is in Perthshire and the hotel itself is perched on top of a hillside overlooking the town (the views from the hotel are amazing, by the way!)  On approach, the hotel is more of a resort, with self-catering accommodation dotted around the grounds, as well as points for activities such as horse riding, archery, tennis courts and play areas for the kids.  They even have Segways...how cool!



On arrival, we checked into our room (not the best experience of check-in ever, but I'll come onto that later) We had an hour or so to get ready before the wedding, so took advantage of the wine the hotel had kindly given us and enjoyed the peacefulness for a while before the big event.
Our room was plenty big for just the two of us - situated right on the corner of the hotel, overlooking the giant size outdoor chess set and mature gardens.  The decor was modern, but still classic and the bathroom was gorgeous (I would have taken it home had I been able to squeeze it into my handbag!) with an abundance of complimentary toiletries.  We had sparking and still water, the normal tea tray you would expect and the room had a DVD player and wall mounted TV, which would come in handy for entertaining children while you get ready in the morning, or for a family film before bedtime.




The wedding was in the Drawing Room - a large, but still intimate feeling room, with beautiful big windows, leading through to a conservatory. In all honesty, the wedding ceremony was the best I have ever been to...a lovely Humanist Service, with the guests singing '500 Miles' by The Proclaimers to break the ice and a very talented string quartet playing a repertoire of songs from The Darkness to Michael Jackson!   A very relaxed champagne reception followed in the conservatory and out into the immaculate gardens.  We just managed to catch every last ray of sunshine before the rain started (well, that is Scotland in August for you!)

The food at the Wedding Breakfast which followed, was amazing. Vine Tomato and Basil soup, Beef Wellington with Thyme Mash and the richest, creamiest creme brulee I have ever tasted in my life!

The rest of the evening was great, as we spilled downstairs to the Ferntower Suite where a band played a mixture of classic wedding songs and ceilidh music.  I also believe there was a residents disco which continued into the small hours, but after a midnight stroll outside, we retired for the evening - it's not often we get an uninterrupted night's sleep these days, so wanted to make the most of it!



By morning, we were ready for breakfast (must have been all that dancing) - a great selection of continental meats, cheese, fruit and cereals, along with the usual cooked breakfast...just what the doctor ordered after a few shandies the night before.

After breakfast, we visited the adults only Victorian Spa, courtesy of the complimentary spa passes we had been given.  After collecting our fluffy towels and toiletries at reception, we relaxed in the sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and pool...my kind of place, as snoozing was encouraged on the recliners which were dotted about!  Unfortunately, we didn't have time to experience any of their bookable treatments, however they sounded fab.



So far, we had enjoyed our 'just us' time and the hotel was certainly catered towards families, so we thought we would check out the facilities available for the girls.  Child friendly is definitely what Crieff Hydro does best, with 6 hours childcare included in your price when you book your stay - this comprises of two 3hr sessions per day, for 2-12 year olds.  They have a dedicated children's zone, Big Country, which is home to a large soft play area and hosts a range of activities for your children to get involved in.  Had the girls been with us, they could have been on nature walks, attended a puppet making workshop, gone on a treasure hunt or had a Movie Munchie night.  The hotel even boasts a cinema, showing recent releases - perfect for a rainy day.
In the leisure complex, there is a family pool (in addition to the Victorian Spa), with a great shallow area for toddlers and younger children who are not completely water confident.

Overall, we had a great stay at Crieff Hydro and we really only scratched the surface of it.  There are loads of activities and things to get involved in, however the atmosphere is very relaxed with lots of areas to chill out, if cramming lots into your stay is not your thing.
The hotel has a choice of restaurants, and dependant on your booking, dinner can be included in your rate. If the food we had was anything to go by, I dare say the choices in the restaurants would be equally as impressive.

The only thing which I feel let the hotel down, was a key part of the overall experience...first impressions.  When we checked in, our room wasn't ready, despite us arriving for a wedding and we were left milling about in reception.  The receptionist who checked us in, seemed very stressed, ill-informed and gave no information about times for breakfast, when checkout was, when our room would be ready and initially did not fill us with confidence about the rest of our stay.

As it turned out, Crieff Hydro did live up to expectations and in some areas certainly exceeded these.  I think it's safe to say we will be returning, and no doubt will have two little monkeys on tow with us.

Looking forward to it already...