All posts by Cameron McLaughlin

Share the Love! Overnight Stay at The Palm Court Hotel

December 16, 2015Dining, Experiences, Getaways, Gifts For 2Cameron McLaughlin

The Christmas Gift countdown continues! With only nine days left until Christmas Day, it can be safely said that everyone is getting into the festive swing of things. All the Christmas buzz and time spent with loved ones has got us feeling the love, and we want to share it!

Here at Gift Ideas we think 2016 should be a year of spending more time with those loved ones, travelling more and experiencing more together!

Overnight stay for two at The Palm Court Hotel

The Palm Court Hotel is a charming boutique hotel situated in the West End of Aberdeen, and the perfect gift for those looking to enjoy a relaxing getaway from it all. The hotel bar is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike and the renowned Bothy Restaurant which specialises in traditional Scottish cuisine is a firm favourite!

This gift experience comes with two options available, an overnight stay with breakfast or overnight stay with breakfast and dinner. Depending on what you’re doing the friendly team will be on hand to provide the best service possible, helping out with any extras and a great source of local knowledge!

Ceilidh and Dinner – Do it at The Dhu!

December 15, 2015Dining, Experiences, Special OccasionsCameron McLaughlin

Who says stocking fillers need to be boring, we prefer to call it a Stocking Thriller and have them by the sleigh full at Gift Ideas. Why get them socks when you can get so much more…

Ghillie Dhu Ceilidh and Dinner Experience

Experience a true taste of Scotland in the heart of the nation’s capital city, Edinburgh! This amazing gift includes a delicious three course menu in the award winning Ghillie Dhu, we’re talking proper, traditional hearty Scottish Fayre here including haggis and Scottish salmon.

After the meal guests move to the famous auditorium floor where they will learn to jig and spin with one of Scotland’s finest ceilidh bands. Once you’ve got your steps in line it’s a full night of ceilidh dancing until the wee small hours. We recommend bringing a good pair of dancing shoes!

Housed in an A grade listed building over three floors, Ghillie Dhu is a traditional Scottish pub that offers a whole lot more, with bar, restaurant and spectacular auditorium. If ceilidh’s are your bag you can find live music and dancing there every Friday and Saturday night with some of the city’s best bands.

Did you know? In Scottish folklore Ghillie Dhu was a solitary male faerie. He was kind, friendly and sometimes a bit wild…sounds about right.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Edinburgh for New Year’s Eve be sure to check out Ghillie Dhu for their famous Hogmanay Party, open until 5am with more of the same!

The Food Challenge Is On!

December 14, 2015Dining, Experiences, Gifts For 2, Under £25Cameron McLaughlin

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me…a food feast on a plank?

The Man Plank Package at The Three Sisters

Nothing helps build that wonderful bond between friends, than getting together and working as a team to absolutely demolish an entire wooden plank of glorious food!

That’s right our top gift for today is the man plank at The Three Sisters, Edinburgh. Imagine the biggest foodie feast possible served up on a huge wooden plank the size of a table. Don’t let the name put you off, the plank is perfect for all of those friends that love a foodie challenge.

This really is the mother of all food planks and features burgers, nachos, chicken wings, racks of ribs, samosas, pakora and more all topped off with two pint steins of beer for everyone. It’s available for all of those that can handle the feast.

The man plank is available at The Three Sisters, considered one of Edinburgh’s liveliest and most fun venues! This is where you’ll find everything from great food and an amazing drinks selection to live music and HD big screens with all the sports under the sun shown live. They also have a massive outdoor courtyard space, which plays host to some very ‘unique’ Three Sisters entertainment.

Get down to The Three Sisters in December and you’ll get to enjoy Cowgate Christmas, an alternative festive market with hot mulled drinks, tasty sweat treats, gourmet food and lots of live entertainment. The highlight has got to be the Drag Queen Mariah’s performing Christmas classics every Friday and Saturday night.

The Man Plank Package at The Three Sisters

Monetary Gift Cards! Give The Gift of Choice…

December 11, 2015Dining, Experiences, Getaways, Gifts For 2, Masterclass, Spa & Beauty, Special Occasions, Under £25Cameron McLaughlin

Right no messing about now, we’re getting closer and closer to the final 12 days of Christmas. Well done if you have all your presents bought, if you haven’t don’t panic, it’s not about when you get them it’s about what you get!

Monetary Gift Cards

At Gift Ideas we have over 100 unique Gift Experiences and packages at venues across Scotland, including everything from ultimate cinema experiences, couple’s dining experiences, brewery tours and more! Whether you’re buying for a partner, friend or work colleague there really is something for everyone over on our website. The prices are super flexible too…depending on how much giving you feel like doing. Have a look through our blog at some of our top picks for December.

Then there’s always that one friend, some may call them free spirited others might just call them fussy. Well we’ve even got a gift for them. Our selection of monetary gift cards are available from just £25 and can be used at some amazing bars, cinemas, restaurants, food and drink masterclasses and hotels across Scotland. Think of it as a way of giving them the gift of choice!

Feliz Navidad! The Ultimate Cocktail Masterclass at Arta

December 10, 2015Dining, Experiences, MasterclassCameron McLaughlin

As we all know Christmas is celebrated all over the world, but not everybody celebrates the same way! Take Spain for example, it’s tradition to eat your Christmas meal on Christmas Eve with the main dish being ‘Pavo Turfado de Navidad’ which translates to turkey stuffed with truffles. It’s also common for areas in Spain that are surrounded by water to have a seafood dish as their main Christmas meal, which can range from for shellfish and mollusks, to lobster and small edible crabs. Interesting eh?

Although the way we celebrate might differ, we can agree on one thing, a great cocktail will always make that celebration a whole lot sweeter!

Cocktail Masterclass at Arta

In this gift with a Mediterranean twist you will enjoy three delicious courses as well as learning how to create the perfect cocktail masterpiece! That’s right you’ll learn to shake and make (and drink of course) three specially selected cocktails, as well as drink them of course. As an added bonus this gift experience also includes club entry, perfect for the movers and shakers.

Located in Glasgow’s Merchant City, Arta offers some a taste of Spain with a unique Mediterranean vibe housed across three floors including bar, restaurant and club. The Hacienda bar specialises in cocktails, with a favourite being the Caiprinha! Downstiars in the Canvas club you can get your salsa on with a packed schedule of live latin music , DJs and salsa classes.

The Beautiful South! Afternoon Tea at The Waverley Tearoom

December 9, 2015Dining, Experiences, Gifts For 2, Under £25Cameron McLaughlin

One of the great things about all of the amazing experiences we have on offer is where they can be used throughout Scotland, from the capital city to the granite city and everywhere in between! Today we’ve put the spotlight on Glasgow, or to be more precise Glasgow’s Southside.

Afternoon Tea for 2 at The Waverley Tearoom

Considered a cultural hub of the Southside, Shawlands has been through some exciting changes over the past few years. Offering a range of arts and music festivals, street food events and more new bars you can shake a stick at, it has gradually seen a steady of hip new locals move in.

Amongst some of the great bars and restaurants is the Waverley Tearoom, a great place for dining, drinking and generally staying up late! Not only does this place have the largest open air terrace and beer garden this side of the Clyde, it’s also one of the only bars in the area with a 1am licence, making it lively at weekends…and many week nights for that matter!

Afternoon Tea for 2 at The Waverley Tearoom

But it’s not just late nights, as you can imagine with a name like Waverley Tearoom they also do a mean Afternoon Tea. Featuring fresh finger cut sandwiches, homemade scones and a selection of sweet treats! There’s also the option to add on some bubbly if the mood takes you! The perfect gift for locals or those looking to enjoy the full southside experience for themselves.