Still looking to get away for Christmas?

Coastal Cottages of Pembrokeshire is offering savings of up to 20 per cent on a choice of more than 20 properties for the festive week starting 23 December.

Ideal for larger families or groups of friends wishing to spend Christmas together, Upper Hoaten Cottages is a small complex of five superb barn conversions – sleeping between two and six – near the seaside village of St Brides.

Prices have been reduced by 10 per cent which means that, for example, Shepherd’s Cottage is now £367 (saving £41), while Gamekeeper’s Cottage is now £541 (saving £60).

For a 20 per cent saving, Lower Whitegates, for example, is a spacious property in a prime position in the seaside village of Little Haven and with lovely sea views:

the new price for a week’s stay is £522 (saving £130).

01437 772760, www.coastalcottages.co.uk

Singles specialist, Friendship Travel, is facing a dilemma this New Year’s Eve…a distinct shortage of men.

The company, which likes to balance the sexes on its holidays, has a waiting list of the fairer sex keen to celebrate the start of 2010, but gentlemen are proving reluctant to join in the fun and help balance the numbers!

Chaps can enjoy a one-night break in Manchester – starting on 31 December at £159 per person – or a two-night stay in Berkshire beginning on 30 December at £320 per person – both including full-board in a double room (for sole occupancy) in a four-star hotel, Champagne reception, five-course meal on New Year’s Eve and services of a Friendship Travel host.

0871 200 2035, www.friendshiptravel.com

For those who fancy ‘painting the town red’ this New Year, head to Inverness for a ‘Red Hot Highland Fling’ with entertainment by the blazing rock band, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.

The organisers of this free event – which takes place on the evening of 31 December at the city’s Northern Park Arena – are urging visitors to dress in red, so dig out those scarlet coats, hats, gloves and wigs.

The Red Hot Chilli Pipers will be joined by two of Scotland’s other favourite bands – Blazin’ Fiddles and the Peatbog Faeries.

For those who fancy joining in the fun in Inverness, Scottish cottage agency, Ecosse Unique, is ‘Heraghty Lodge’ a superb riverside apartment (sleeping four) which now costs £725 for a seven-night holiday from 28 December, a reduction of £100.

01835 822277, www.unique-cottages.co.uk

Still looking to get away for Christmas?

Coastal Cottages of Pembrokeshire is offering savings of up to 20 per cent on a choice of more than 20 properties for the festive week starting 23 December.

Ideal for larger families or groups of friends wishing to spend Christmas together, Upper Hoaten Cottages is a small complex of five superb barn conversions – sleeping between two and six – near the seaside village of St Brides.

Prices have been reduced by 10 per cent which means that, for example, Shepherd’s Cottage is now £367 (saving £41), while Gamekeeper’s Cottage is now £541 (saving £60).

For a 20 per cent saving, Lower Whitegates, for example, is a spacious property in a prime position in the seaside village of Little Haven and with lovely sea views:

the new price for a week’s stay is £522 (saving £130).

01437 772760, www.coastalcottages.co.uk

Singles specialist, Friendship Travel, is facing a dilemma this New Year’s Eve…a distinct shortage of men.

The company, which likes to balance the sexes on its holidays, has a waiting list of the fairer sex keen to celebrate the start of 2010, but gentlemen are proving reluctant to join in the fun and help balance the numbers!

Chaps can enjoy a one-night break in Manchester – starting on 31 December at £159 per person – or a two-night stay in Berkshire beginning on 30 December at £320 per person – both including full-board in a double room (for sole occupancy) in a four-star hotel, Champagne reception, five-course meal on New Year’s Eve and services of a Friendship Travel host.

0871 200 2035, www.friendshiptravel.com

For those who fancy ‘painting the town red’ this New Year, head to Inverness for a ‘Red Hot Highland Fling’ with entertainment by the blazing rock band, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.

The organisers of this free event – which takes place on the evening of 31 December at the city’s Northern Park Arena – are urging visitors to dress in red, so dig out those scarlet coats, hats, gloves and wigs.

The Red Hot Chilli Pipers will be joined by two of Scotland’s other favourite bands – Blazin’ Fiddles and the Peatbog Faeries.

For those who fancy joining in the fun in Inverness, Scottish cottage agency, Ecosse Unique, is ‘Heraghty Lodge’ a superb riverside apartment (sleeping four) which now costs £725 for a seven-night holiday from 28 December, a reduction of £100.

01835 822277, www.unique-cottages.co.uk

Fèis Movement ‘comes home’ to Inverness for Year of Homecoming

Gaelic culture will be highlighted as part of Scotland’s national St Andrew’s Day celebrations and the official Homecoming Scotland Finale programme in the Highlands.

Ceòl nam Fèis 2009 (literally ‘music of the festivals’) will see up to 100 Fèis Movement stars both past and present descend upon the Highland capital for a unique showcase concert of new and traditional songs, tunes and dances at Inverness’s Eden Court Theatre on Friday 27th November.

Arthur Cormack, Director of Fèisean nan Gaidheal, the organisation which supports the development of community-based Gaelic arts tuition festivals throughout Scotland, explains: “This unique event will feature former Fèis players, who are now professional musicians, coming home to work alongside groups of young people from across Scotland currently involved in the movement. Having begun some 25 years ago in Barra, the Movement now involves 48 groups across the country, from Tiree to Aberdeen, each of which are engaged in tuition and the promotion of Gaelic culture. Rehearsals for this event have been going on for several months so I can guarantee a fantastic evening with several well known faces and some of the country’s best young traditional musicians.”

Marie Christie, Project Director for Homecoming Scotland 2009, adds: “Ceol nam Feis 2009 will be a highlight of the national St Andrew’s Day celebrations and the Homecoming Scotland Finale programme in the Highlands. Scotland’s music has been the soundtrack to many great Homecoming events across the country during 2009, it is therefore very fitting that we see the year out in the Highlands with a fantastic night drawing together the country’s finest talent from the impressive work of the Fèis movement.”

Convener of The Highland Council, Councillor Sandy Park, said: “Ceòl nam Fèis will provide a very rousing conclusion to the Highland Homecoming events and be a true showcase for past, present and new emerging traditional musical talent. I am sure the evening will be a glowing success that recognised the huge contribution the Fèis movement has made to strengthening our links with our cultural past and promoting the talents of our young people.”

Minister for Culture, Michael Russell, said: “St Andrew’s Day is a day to celebrate all that is great about Scotland – including our unique Gaelic culture and music. It is fitting that the Homecoming Year reaches it finale by welcoming home Fèis musicians from around the world to work with our young talent as part of this spectacular event. I’m sure that Ceòl nam Fèis will be a great success and a highlight of the Highland programme.”

The event, organised by Fèisean nan Gaidheal in partnership with The Highland Council, will be held in the Empire Theatre at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, at 7.30pm, Friday 27th November. For tickets and further information please visit http://www.eden-court.co.uk/whats-on/shows/ceol-nam-feis-2009-st-andrew-s-feis-homecoming# .

From 19 October to 31 October, a fantastic programme of more than 100 events over two weeks will give a flavour of the remarkable people, places and events of the Highlands, providing a unique contribution to the national Homecoming Scotland celebrations. Visit www.highlandeventsandfestivals.com to see full details of the music, theatre, song, dance, storytelling, exhibitions, street theatre, talks and ceilidhs featuring in the programme.

Field trips to Culloden Battlefield and nearby Historic Scotland property, Fort George, will be open to people attending the three-day history event, Scotland’s Global Impact. Expert guides including Dr Tony Pollard, Director of the Centre for Battlefield Archaeology at the University of Glasgow and member of Channel 4’s “Time Team”, will shed new light on the story of the battlefield.

Scotland’s Global Impact, taking place from 22 to 24 October in Eden Court, Inverness, is an exceptional, once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us interested in history and heritage to hear at first hand from world experts in the field. Broadcaster Lesley Riddoch will host lively debates and discussions throughout the three day event, making sure everyone has an opportunity to contribute and have their say.

• On day one find out about the people who made Scotland and early emigration from our country.

• Day two has a focus on why emigrants left Scotland and the impact of individuals and communities of emigrants and sojourners on their chosen destinations (mainly in North America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa), and the effects of such migration on Scotland itself.

• The final day is about the Scottish solider at home and abroad during the 17th to 19th centuries.

Choose your day according to your interest – or come along for all three! If you have friends who might be interested in coming along too, why not book as a group – special discounts are available for group bookings of five or more (to take advantage of this offer, call the Eden Court Box Office on 01463 234234 and ask for the corporate group rate). For full details of all speakers and topics on each day, visit www.scotlandsglobalimpact.com .

If you decide to book for Scotland’s Global Impact, all tickets for events in the Highland Homecoming programme are available on a 2 for 1 basis – for full details of this offer and all other Highland Homecoming events, visit www.highlandeventsandfestivals.com.