Saturday, July 28, 2007

SCOTLAND TRAVELERS: MONEY-SAVING TIP!

I was going to incorporate this information into a blog entry, but decided it was important enough to pull out and feature prominently.

PLEASE pay attention, because I missed a great opportunity to save money in Scotland, and I am still kicking myself over it. The ONLY thing that will make me feel better about screwing up so badly is if someone else out there reads this, and learns from my mistake!

There’s this special offer called the Historic Scotland Explorer Pass. When you purchase it, you get FREE entry to all Historic Scotland properties (this includes sites in the Princess Cruise port itinerary such as Urquhart Castle in Inverness, Skara Brae in Kirkwall, and Edinburgh Castle) free entry to over 300 Historic Scotland daytime events, a 20% discount on audio tours at Edinburgh and Stirling Castles, and a 10% discount in the cafes at Urquhart Castle and Fort George. I did NOT realize this offer existed until we got to Edinburgh, so I ended up paying FULL ADMISSION PRICE at Skara Brae and at Urquhart Castle. #&^*!!!

If you are traveling on the same Princess Cruise intinerary that I took, and if you plan to tour those ports on your own, then purchasing a 3-day pass will save you money for sure. You can learn more about the Explorer Pass at www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/explorer. They also offer 7-day and 10-day passes for those who are spending more time in Scotland (Glasgow Cathedral is also on the list of places where admission is included, but I don’t know that it’s worth purchasing a 7-day pass just for that. A 3-day pass will take you through several top sites in Kirkwall, Inverness and Edinburgh).

Please take a few moments to look into it, and avenge my touristy ignorance! Thank you.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You can also purchase a "GREAT BRITISH HERITAGE PASS" that allows you entrance into 500 sites throughout the ENTIRE United Kingdom including all the Scottish sites you listed here. A 15 day adult pass is just £52.00. A 15 day family pass is just £114.00. These passes are also issued for 4 days, 7 days and 30 days.

Depending on what you are doing during the cruise, as well as before the cruise and after, purchasing a Great British Hertitage Pass could prove to be a REAL money saver! For more information CLICK HERE

Lisa Yak said...

Joanie, that's a terrific tip! I really wish I'd known about it before we left...it would have saved us tons of money!

Thanks for posting the info here. I'll post it in one of the earlier blog entries on London, too.