Inverness, widely called the capital city of the Highlands of Scotland, was eventually granted city status in 2001 and at the moment is the only city in the Scottish Highlands. Strangely Inverness has no statutory boundaries which can create problems when estimating populations. The situation is made worse because of the fact that the population is on the increase, the city has the highest growth rate for any city in the UK. One certainty we know of is that the population of the city is fairly content , in 2008 the city came fifth in a survey taken, by the Telegraph, of 189 UK cities for quality of life. From this we can safely state that Inverness is a pretty alright city in which to stay and this is probably one of the facts which make the city immensely popular with tourists. It is lucky then that there is a large number of Inverness bed and breakfasts with most of it being bookable online.

Inverness is also referred to as being the gateway to the Highlands of Scotland for the simple fact that it is the hub of the Highland public transport system and an incredible number of tourist attractions are within easy reach. Possibly the best way to reach them is by going on an organized coach tour or day trip. There are a few companies visiting places such as, Urquart Castle, Loch Ness or Culloden or for the adventurous tourists it is possible to visit Orkney and John O’Groats on a days round trip. You can also go on a small number of city tours, such as those run by City Sightseeing.

A small amount of visitors choose to stay in two different locations in the Highlands say Inverness & Fort William. Fort William is immensely popular with sports men and women especially hill walkers, mountaineers and ramblers who get excited getting to the top of Ben Nevis which is not too far from the town’s center. In a similar fashion bed and breakfast in Fort William and rather like most bed and breakfast accommodation in Scotland it is frequently cheap, good value for money and amazingly tidy, clean and comfortable with the best hospitality.

One of the most important things to remember is that the airport for Inverness is, approximately, seven miles to the east at Dalcross. You can hail a cab to the small and busy airport which is quite cheap. If you will benefit from using a map of the area then you can get them for free at the tourist office, in the center of town. While you are enjoying your Inverness vacation you should make a point to visit Inverness Castle, Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, the Mercat Cross and ’stone of tubs’ especially the Castle Garrison Encounter, an interactive experience which is immensely enjoyable.

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This year more people are seeking new vacation destinations which offer something completely unique or, at the very least something alternative to the popular sunny beach vacation. During these times of economic hardship many folk are, unfortunately coming to the conclusion that they have a much smaller budget for expenditure on a family vacation and are, annoyingly, forced into making cutbacks to stretch their cash further. One way of doing this is to look for a less expensive destination. In the article below I introduce readers to Birmingham, a city in the UK. With the euro and dollar so strong against the British pound Birmingham hotels and guest houses are  so much less expensive.

Birmingham is a city in the English county called the West Midlands  and those living in the city are referred to as being “Brummies”. Birmingham’s accent is a strong northern English sounding dialect and it is very problematic to understand fully what is being said a problem which is far worse if if you are new to such accents. Thankfully nearly all Brummies are kind, helpful and polite and do their very best to explain so if necessary don’t hesitate to talk to locals about help and directions or guidance in choosing  bed & breakfast accommodation in Birmingham.

The city features  an excellent collection of places to visit and things to do including a few informative galleries and museums, for example the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and the new museum called Thinktank in the Eastside. The city of Birmingham also features a huge number of acres of open spaces and parks, Sutton Park  is the largest with 970 hectares it is also the largest urban nature reserve in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Birmingham features a vibrant and wide ranging nightlife with an excellent number of restaurants, cafes, wine bars, bars and nightclubs. You will discover many in one of Birmingham’s squares, Victoria Square, Centenary Square, St Martin’s Square, Chamberlain Square, the historic Old Square at Corporation Street, Rotunda Square and the Gas Street Basin. Gas Street Basin is the hub of the city’s intricate canal network. The city has roughly thirty two miles of canal waterways with between eight canals which were dug during the 18th century and continued being used until the 1970’s. These days the area has been renovated and is now a rather good tourist attraction.

Rather than staying in a guest house why not think about booking Birmingham city or airport apartments. If you If you are considering taking a Birmingham vacation you will need to know that the nearest airport is approximately eight miles east of the center of the city just off the A45 and near the M42 (junction 6). You will be pleased to know that there is a number of hotels reasonably close to the airport.

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