By Ruth M
Scotland is a country in its own right. It is not part of England or Wales although it shares the same island and is part of the United Kingdom. It is a beautiful country with a variable climate and the seasons are well defined. Winters are not nearly as hard as they were 50 years ago and our roads are kept in superb condition during snow and icy conditions.
Much of the bed and breakfast/guest house accommodation is regulated by the Scottish Tourist Board or the alternative name of visitscotland.com. Businesses have to be a member of this national organisation and are charged fees in accordance with business size. Visitscotland send assessors to every property at least once a year to assess the quality of the business. Usually bed and breakfasts have between 1 - 3 guest bedrooms which are part of the family home. Visitors who like to glean local knowledge enjoy such stays as there is often good contact with the owners. Guest houses normally have more than 3 rooms and the owners do not always stay on the premises although most do.Visitscotland introduced a star rating system a few years ago and this is now being adopted by England and Wales to stop the confusion of stars, crowns, diamonds etc. The rating system works from 1 - 5 stars with 1 being the lower end of the market and 5 being the top end. This also applies to hotels where the inspection system includes kitchen but it does NOT include kitchens in bed and breakfasts or guest houses. All sorts of excuses have been given to me for not inspecting kitchens but I find them implausible as I think the kitchen is important - I would go as far as saying it is more important than the ensuite (a bath or shower room attached to a particular bedroom). It is important visitors know that kitchens are not taken into account when visitscotland make their assessments.
Once you have browsed for and found your choice of accommodation email the business if possible then you will have direct contact with the owner. Many websites do not give much information so this is the time you ask questions. Is the room on a main road? Is there adequate private parking? Are there many stairs? Do you have pets? (for those who do not like domestic pets) What are the breakfast times? Is there a choice for breakfast? (some places have a set breakfast and others only give continental breakfasts) Is there a lounge? How far from the town are you? What is there to do in the evening? The list is really endless but the more you know the more your stay will be enjoyable for you.Personally I would choose a bed and breakfast or guest house which has a good website and answers many of the questions and is not afraid to have a small video or slideshow to show you what to expect. Nowadays it is easy for a computer illiterate such as myself to make something and many people do appreciate the effort no matter how amateurish it is.
So the choice is down to the traveller. Between 1 - 5 stars, bed and breakfast, guest house or hotel and be aware price does not always mean quality - an error many of us make.Happy holiday in Scotland.
http://www.heathparklodge.co.uk
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