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Lifestyle Travel
Let the good times roll With Easter just around the corner, Barbara Adams suggests some fun days out for families
Nestled within sight of Fidra Island, this beautiful stretch is best known for providing the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, Treasure Island. Surrounded by grassland, and a vast forest, it’s also ideal for an egg hunt. For boat trips to other beaches and islands around Glasgow and Edinburgh, see ‘All Aboard’ below. Yellowcraigs beach
BEACH BABIES
Scotland is scattered with some of the most peaceful and well-kept beaches in the UK. In particular, North Berwick on the east coast is a famously picturesque seaside town, complete with miles of sand, cobbled streets full of friendly cafés and the Scottish Seabird C e n t re. Better still, there’s a range of activities for children at the centre throughout April, including Storytime by the Sea (8 Apr) and outdoor education with the Wildlife Club (see seabird.org/wildlife-club.asp for details). Closer to Edinburgh, Cramond is a delight for walkers and cyclists alike with its wide promenade and vast sandy beach overlooking the Forth. Nearby, Lauriston Castle is hosting an Easter Fun Weekend (16–17 Apr) in its gardens.
On the west coast, three award-winning beaches in North Ayrshire regularly tempt people out of the city: Largs Pencil, with its monument to a 13th-century battle, Newton Beach at Millport with its great views of the Clyde estuary, and the long, sandy vista of Irvine Beach. Another spot for coastal fun is Gullane beach on the east coast. Blessed with especially large sand dunes, it’s perfect for rolling eggs then tumbling down after them.
Finally, don’t miss Yellowcraigs beach.
CULTURE VULTURES
There are oodles of good gallery exhibitions and historic houses to visit around Glasgow and Edinburgh over Easter, and most of them are free. Visiting a historic house is often an inexpensive and easy way to get a culture hit. At Provand’s Lordship you can step back into Glasgow’s past in the only house to survive from the medieval city. The house has been extensively restored to give a real flavour of life in the Middle Ages, complete with a medical herb garden and beautiful grounds.
Also in Glasgow, the Burrell Collection in Pollock Country Park is host to some great exhibitions this year, including China through the Lens of John Thomson 1868–1872. Check out its screenings of family films with a Chinese throughout April (bit.ly/burrellchinese). theme
S t o r y t e l l i n g For events over the holidays that are both fun and educational for children, pop into Edinburgh’s C e n t re (scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk). Many of its events in April are in collaboration with the Science Festival, including Horrible Science (9 Apr) and Food Chemistry Fun (12 Apr). It’s also the venue for the Puppet Animation Festival in April, with plenty of fun productions to take kids along to – our top pick is Little Red Robin Hood (16 Apr).
31 Mar–28 Apr 2011 THE LIST 33