Lifestyle Travel
For more lifestyle visit list.co.uk/travel Windmill at St Monans
P e o p l e ’s M u s e u m , M a n c h e s t e r
Tobermory, Mull
(westernisleshotel.co.uk), looking out towards the Sound of Mull, is a good place to rest your head, so too the ever-lively Mishnish (mishnish. co.uk), where you can indulge in a pint of home-brewed Mishnish ale. Tobermory’s Café Fish (thecafefish.com) serves its catch fresh off the boat, while the nearby Mull Cheddar Farm offers great picnic sandwich filling and self-catering accommodation to boot.
AN AFTERNOON We could lie and say it’s not about Anstruther’s mighty fish and chips but we won’t. It is part of it (see for yourself at anstrutherfishbar.co.uk) but really that’s just a taste of what East Neuk has to offer for an afternoon’s escape from Edinburgh. Whether St Monans, Anstruther or St Andrews, the Kingdom of Fife has plenty of life, from small-scale festivals to secret bunkers, aquariums, caves, markets, and museums – all just an hour out of town. Grab a train over the Forth rail bridge and hop on a local bus between villages. This month and next, look out for Littoral, East Neuk Festival’s (27 Jun–1 Jul, eastneukfestival. com) new literary strand, and Pilgrimage, a specially commissioned sand sculpture in Crail. If east coasters have Fife on their doorstep, out west, Loch Lomond is just a short trip away from Glasgow. Sure, you could walk some of the West Highland Way, but why not settle down inside (or outside, weather allowing) for 44 THE LIST 21 Jun–19 Jul 2012
at List some great food at List favourite The Oak Oak ak-tree- Inn (oak-tree- Tree almaha? inn.co.uk) in Balmaha? it have Not only does it have fine ales some mighty fine ales lso boasts and drams, it also boasts its own smokehouse. That means the seafood platter is well worth the wait. Conic Hill is a short walk away, so too a waterbus to take you around the loch. Alternatively, from Glasgow hop on the train to Largs, home of beautiful marina walks, great cafés and famous ice- cream parlour Nardini’s (nardinis.co.uk). A WEEKEND There is, of course, life beyond Scotland. And great plane and train fares as well as hotel deals can be found if you keep your eye on websites such as expedia.co.uk, travelzoo.com and laterooms.com. For a city break complete with great gigs, theatre, food and drink, Manchester seldom disappoints. As with all big cities, knowledge is everything. The city’s music scene is, of course, legendary and a great place to start any weekend. Laidback haunts such as folk and electronic hangout Band on the Wall (Swan Street, bandonthewall. org), jazz den Matt and Phreds (Tib Street, mattandphreds.com), spit-and-sawdust-but- we-love-it-anyway Briton’s Protection (Great Bridgewater Street, britonsprotection.
co.uk) which co.uk) which also runs poetry nights, also runs poetry nights, and Saki Bar (Wilmslow Road, (Wilmslow Road, and Saki Bar myspace com/cafe saki) are all worth a visit myspace.com/cafe_saki) are all worth a visit. Art lovers should make a beeline for the recently developed People’s Museum (phm. org.uk), dedicated to 200 years of British democracy, which comes complete with a sunny riverside café to people-watch from. Lowry fans too should be suitably replete after a trip to the Lowry Arts Centre (thelowry. com) on Salford Quays, a space that, beyond its vast collection of art, also showcases some great live performances of dance, opera, comedy and more. For food, the Grill on the Alley (5 Ridgefield, blackhouse.uk.com) does a mighty fine steak; elsewhere, Isinglass (Flixton Road) and high-end Aumbry (Church Lane, aumbryrestaurant.co.uk) are making culinary waves. For drinks with a great view, look no farther than Cloud 23 (Deansgate, cloud23bar.com), so named for its site on the 23rd floor of Beetham Tower. Head up at dusk for some stunning views of the city. The Northern Quarter too, once best known for its independent shops, has in recent years built up something of a go-to reputation for a good night out, and indeed is home to many of the live music venues mentioned above.