Edinburgh takes credit to some of the best tee courses in the whole of Scotland, which are quite popular  among the golfers all over the world. A golfer’s haven , Scotland has many excellent golf courses set amidst stunning natural spectacles well complemented by well equipped golf clubs and the fabled Scottish hospitality to make it an unbeatable experience. Golfing in Scotland has become a highly favored option even among celebrities like Madonna, Catherine Zeta Jones and Brad Pitt.

Golf is a relaxing and sociable game that allows you to mingle with the sporty Scots, who are passionate about this sport. One of the most popular golf green is the centrally located Merchants of Edinburgh, that offers the stunning views of the Edinburgh Castle and the Pentland Hills. The oldest active  golf course is Mortonhall. Located close to the post card pretty hinterlands and villages, these golf courses ensure the best views of the countryside of East Lothian. Musselburgh Golf Course, located very near to the Edinburgh bypass, dating back to 1672 has an impressive list of clientèle including Mary Queen of Scots  who is thought to have played here.

Golf is a great group activity and is well suited for groups like stag party or hen party revelers as it is a short duration game that could be combined with any other day time activity of your choice. And the best part is that any friends who are ;less enthusiastic about the game can indulge in sight seeing to soak up the quintessential charm of Edinburgh. There are many historical edifices, museums and live entertainment options apart from an impressive  bar and club scene that makes it an overwhelming experience. No matter whether you are green horn or experienced golfer, Edinburgh has some of the best tee courses you could ask for!

A luxury cruise is one of the most exciting things to happen in any Scotland holidays and for the budget travelers who cannot afford it, cruising by barge will be a good choice. Relaxing and rewarding, barge cruises is a green holiday option as it causes very little pollution unlike flights or long drives. It is catching up the fancy of the movie icons and the rich and the famous including the Hollywood stars  Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart among others .

There is an impressive line up of barge holiday itineraries on offer all over the UK- From the canal waterways of France, Italy, Holland and Ireland- the options are truly countless. You can explore the vast expanses of the waterways and the stunning spectacles around in these   fully-crewed and catered luxury floating country hotels, which are some of the best remodeled classic working barges. With just eight to twelve guests on board, it will will be an ideal option for a close knit house party, a fun filled stag party or for a private charter. Apart from an exciting cruise, fine dine and wine options and daily shore excursions.

Check out the fabled Scottish Highlander, the barge that was built way back in 1931 as a river ship to carry grain, which was refurbished to be a riverboat hotel in 2000. The tastefully done up interiors well complimented by paintings of Scottish countrysides and plush leather upholstery and  a well stocked  bar would remind you of  the plush milieu of a Scottish country house. Set out on a cruise along the Caledonian Canal between Fort William and Inverness through the Great Glen and the legendary Loch Ness. There is a well heated sprawling suite and three rooms with double or twin beds and an  attached shower room with hot  water and  toiletries.

The best part is that barge cruises do not  result in seasickness even for the uninitiated travelers as they travel at a gentle pace and get moored by night. During the cruise, there are countless things to do. You can steal a glance of some of the most stunning landscapes  the Great Glen that fall in the cruise route ,  laze around on the deck or take a stroll along the tow path to take  a closer look at the Caledonian canal, which is 60 miles in length and constructed in 1822 as a waterway for cargo and leisure ships bypassing the choppy and treacherous waters of the Pentland Firth and Cape Wrath of Scotland.

The cruise starts at Fort William or Inverness and passengers from  Glasgow or Edinburgh can reach by train, which in itself is a visual feast that offers one of the most magnificent spectacles  of pine forests, cascading waterfalls and lochs. Barge cruise holidays offer real value for your money and are convenient substitutes for the exorbitant luxury cruise holiday options

The Edinburgh Half Marathon is scheduled for 18th April 2010. The route is from Meadowbank Stadium that goes to the Firth of Forth cost to Portobello and then goes south and finally finishing at the Musselburgh racetrack. This time there are some serious participants and all running for some reason. Some might be fun runners, fund raisers or even some who run for charity.

How much you need to train yourself for this marathon depends. They say it hardly take 10-12 weeks for a beginner to get acquainted with half marathon. More information about this marathon is available on the website of Chris Hoy Edinburgh half marathon.

Marathon enthusiasts can be seen training themselves running around and keeping their fitness level intact for the big day. The race is to commensurate the campaign ‘Be a friend of the earth’ and those who are affiliated with ‘Friends of the Earth Scotland‘ can participate for free.

Scotland, Edinburgh half marathon aims to raise maximum funds for its clean world campaign. The motto is to enable everyone gets a fair share of clean environment and earth’s resources. Friends of the Earth Scotland was formed to help people look after the planet.

Visitor to Scotland in the coming year will find plenty of activities to enjoy, if you can be a part of fund raising campaign along with your leisure trip, won’t that be great?

For more information about Scotland travel, please visit http://www.scotland.org.uk

Edinburgh Stag Weekends

Edinburgh has not seen any real significant down turn in the levels of of stag and hen groups coming for a weekend of partying.  Many of the cheaper hotels are still seeing a lot of business with the pre-wedding parties.

Many of these types of party weekends bring the much needed revenue into Edinburgh not only for the bars and clubs but also for activity providers from clay pigeon shooting, go karting to rafting companies.

Most hotels in Edinburgh will only take a minimum of 2 nights, and certain times of the year the whole city can be booked out especially on rugby weekends.

Some Edinburgh Stag Weekend Providers:

• Edinburgh Stag Weekend
• Edinburgh Stag Party
• Edinburgh Stag Weekends