Touring the UK's Largest Windfarm in Glasgow

[caption id="attachment_2436" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Pic courtesy of Whitelee Windfarm Visitor Centre[/caption]

Jess, aged 14, says: I am fascinated by the development sustainable energy sources, so I was really looking forward to visiting Whitelee Windfarm with my Grandma and my Uncle. Whitelee Windfarm contains 215 wind turbines spread out over 80km², making it the largest windfarm in the UK and one of the largest in Europe.

The visitor centre is only about 20 minutes from central Glasgow, so we drove there at around 11am. The air was cold but it was sunny and the sky was clear, meaning that we could marvel at the hundreds of windmills that stood before us. I'd never seen so many together before!

Entry to the windfarm and visitor centre was free, and we headed inside to try out the games and activities inside the exhibition. This was one large room, full of quizzes, interactive activities, and lots of information. I constructed my own wind turbine, learnt how they generate energy, and found out about the history of the site. We enjoyed the interactive exhibit which involved looking at the locations of the windmills, and picking which three we thought would generate the most power. Once we had picked, the model was turned on and the windmills spun round and round. Unfortunately none of us managed to generate the needed energy, but this was a fun insight into the management of a windfarm that we don't know about.

Next, I had my go at managing the power produced by the windfarm. I had to take into account aspects such as time of day and weather, and changed the locations of where the power was distributed to according to these variables. In reality, Whitelee Windfarm can generate 539 megawatts on a single day, which amazed me. This means that the windfarm powers 330,000 homes!

[caption id="attachment_2437" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Inside the exhibition (pic courtesy of Whitelee Windfarm Visitor Centre)[/caption]

We must have spent an hour in the exhibition - we watched videos, got fiercely competitive with strangers over a quiz (I'm pleased to say that I did the best in this), and took a look at the view of the site. We saw younger children partaking in an arts and crafts activity, but, being 13 at the time, I did not take part and instead we hopped on a tour bus to look around.

Bus tours around the site are only £3.50 for adults and £2.50 for children, and there was space for about 15 people on the bus. However, there was only one group there apart from our own, making the tour quiet and relaxing. Our tour guide was really kind and friendly, and encouraged us all to ask questions. He knew pretty much everything about the site, and told us some fascinating information.

Not only did we learn about the construction of the turbines, how they are controlled, and plans for the future, we also found out all about the site's ecosystem. There are lots of delicate flowers and animals in the area - there are over 145 plant species, 36 fungi species, 94 lichens, and a vast collection of birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and mammals. Apparently it is very rare to see one of these, but it is possible if you look very closely when walking by the turbines. The windfarm has over 90km of parks to walk and cycle down, but we preferred to stay on the bus.

The best part of our trip by far was stopping off by one of the turbines. I loved walking underneath it, listening to how loud it was, and marvelling at how tall and wide it was. I had seen many wind turbines in my life but had never realised how big they were!

Finally our trip was over. We had spent about two hours in total looking around the farm, and I had absolutely loved it. It was a really unique and astonishing place to visit that really opened up my eyes to the future of sustainable energy. What really made the site special was how interactive it is, meaning that it is great for adults and children alike. It was a really great experience, and I definitely recommend it if you have any free time in Glasgow.

Also in Scotland

Falkirk Wheel and Helix Park

Blair Drummond Safari Park

Visiting Falkirk Wheel and Helix Park in Scotland

Jess, aged 14, writes: As someone who is interested in technology and engineering, I was very excited to visit Falkirk with my Grandma, her friend, and my uncle. Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and is just over 20 miles north-east of Glasgow, making it perfect for a day trip. We had two things we wanted to do in the day: visit the Kelpies (the world's largest equine sculptures) and the Falkirk Wheel, the world's only rotating boat lift. For someone interested in mechanics, the day was a treat - both attractions were incredible, and there was lots to do nearby.

[caption id="attachment_2388" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The wheel is a real marvel of engineering[/caption]

The first place we visited on our trip was the Falkirk Wheel. This is a giant boat lift that connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal in the most spectacular way - the wheel's gondolas rotate, lifting boats 35 metres up in the air. I was amazed by how quiet the machine was, and how simple it seemed (obviously, this is not the case: the wheel cost £84.5m, and took years to finish).

[caption id="attachment_2387" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We took a boat trip up the wheel and through the canals[/caption]

It was all good and well to admire the wheel, but I wanted to try it out for myself. My uncle and I took a fifty minute boat trip from the Visitor Centre, up the Wheel, and onto the Union Canal, which was a really cool experience. The boat was spacious, had large windows, and had a very nice man who was telling us about the wheel. It was amazing for the boat to be slowly lifted into the air, and the views underneath us were gorgeous. I found it fascinating to see such a marvel of engineering in action.

[caption id="attachment_2389" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The trip was really interesting, and I learnt a lot[/caption]

Next, we were shown a video about the history of the two canals we had been travelling on. We went through a dark tunnel, but I hardly noticed as I was engrossed in learning about the Wheel. I was amazed that the Wheel carries over 600 tonnes of water at a time, and that it can hold up eight boats!

Even though it was fifty minutes long, the tour seemed to go really quickly. Soon, my uncle and I departed the boat, just in time for a quick picnic and a trip to the gift shop. There were loads of activities for the children and space to run around, and I liked running on some interactive gears to make them spin.

[caption id="attachment_2392" align="alignnone" width="1200"] I utterly loved going zorbing![/caption]

However, the highlight of our trip to the wheel had to be going zorbing on the lake. I stood inside a giant inflatable bubble, was pushed into the water, and had to try to stand up. Needless to say, most of the time I spent in the ball was on the floor, but I really enjoyed it and must have spent at least ten minutes in there.

[caption id="attachment_2393" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Kelpies were absolutely massive and magnificent[/caption]

Next, it was time to visit the Kelpies in Helix Park. We drove for about five minutes, parked, and then walked for about ten minutes to get there, and I was astounded. The Kelpies are two gigantic horse-head sculptures, and are absolutely stunning. They were so big and beautiful, and I couldn't comprehend how they had been built! Later, I discovered that they are the largest art pieces in Scotland.

[caption id="attachment_2394" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The playground was gigantic, with lots to do[/caption]

We opted out of taking a guided tour around the Kelpies, and instead decided to have a walk around the park. It is absolutely massive, with lots to see and do. I spent ages on the kids' playground with climbing frames and slides (it's not so often I do this as I usually tower over all of the other children), enjoyed a walk through the vast expanses of grass, and bought a delicious (and well-priced) cake from the cafe. There was more we could have done too - there were lots of gorgeous cycling routes, pedalo boats, kayaks, canoes, and fountains to wade around in.

Overall, I had a really great day discovering Falkirk. Both the Wheel and the Kelpies were absolutely incredible, and there was a lot to do. The area was gorgeous, and it would be great for adults and kids alike. If you are in Glasgow or Edinburgh with time to spare, I definitely recommend visiting.

More by us:

Also in Scotland - Blair Drummond Safari Park

Top museums in London – for kids! (by Robert)

What to do in Norwich (by all of us!)

Blair Drummond Safari Park in Scotland (by Robert)

 

[caption id="attachment_766" align="aligncenter" width="940"] This is baby Bruce, a white rhino calf[/caption]

In half term Jess, Dad and I went to Scotland to see my grandma. One day we all went to Blair Drummond Safari Park in Stirling, which was really good fun.

The first thing we saw we we got there was the rhinos, including one which was only 3 weeks old. Bruce is a white rhino and was born on October 12th. He weighed eight stone at birth, so he was already much bigger than me. His mum is called Dot and when started walking around, Bruce followed right behind her. It was so cute.

One of the clever things about the park was the giraffe viewing platform. Usually at places you have to strain your head upwards to look at the giraffes but at this safari park you are the same level as the animals which made it even cooler.

There were lots of animals at the park and lots of things to do as well. There were puzzles to complete and machines to use. My favourites were the diggers, where you had to work out how to control picking up the sand and dropping it somewhere else. I also liked the rhino and elephant puzzles. You were given lots of different pieces which together made an animal. Me and Jess raced each other. I won. There were lots of competitions to enter too, and I enjoyed the drawing contest the most.

Another thing I liked about the safari was the funfair. It had lots of rides and games but I must say that the roller coaster, which was so slow, and the arcade were quite disappointing. In the arcade there were those games where you put a coin in and lots of coins fall out the bottom. I put a 10p in and saw a pound's worth of coins fall through the gap, yet none actually came out for me to collect. My favourite ride was the slide it was so fast and so high up.

But my favourite bit of the whole day was the sea lion show. The man would mention things that sea lions could do and at that exact moment a sea lion would demonstrate what the man was talking about. Whenever you clapped, the sea lions would clap as well - it was really funny.

The best trick was when one of the animals went into a pool, picked a basketball up on its nose, swam to the side of the pool, got out and jumped onto a stool. The ball stayed on its nose the whole time. Another of the tricks I liked was when the man said "sea lions have lots of predators. One of our sea lions will act one out." Then the sea lion jumped into the pool put his arm out and swam around. It looked exactly like a shark.

One of the highlights of the day was the chimpanzee island. We went round the island on a boat and learnt lots of very interesting things that I never knew before. When Jess and I were on the pedal boats we could see people zip over us on the Flying Fox zip wire (we also had a go, and it was great).

It was a wonderful and educational day and you should definitely visit. But remember to bring a scarf and gloves!

The Safari Park is now closed for the winter and opens again in March. Tickets cost £12.60 for adults and £9.60 for children (aged 3-14). Under 3s are free.

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More by me:

The Art of the Brick Lego Exhibition

Groombridge House (see me on a big swing!)

Finding our family roots in Scotland (July/August 2009)

My husband has long been accused of “marrying out”. By this, his friends mean that he, a proud Scot, married a girl from London, with an English accent which seems stronger (and posher) each time I visit Scotland. An English wife was bad enough, but now my husband has two English children as well.

Or at least he did have. Now he has two children who see themselves as half Scottish. And all thanks to a jokey conversation and a holiday. Let me explain...

It all began with a discussion about the fine England results since Fabio Capello became manager.
“I think we should get Robbie [our four year old son] an England football kit,” I said mischievously.
My husband went white. I’d obviously hit a nerve.
“Er?then we have to get him a Scotland kit as well,” he retorted.
I decided to call his bluff. “That’s fine,” I said. “He can have both.”
The face grew even paler.
“He just can’t have an England strip” responded my husband firmly.

I pointed out then that the children had little idea of their Scottish roots, so perhaps it was time to find out more. A few months later we were flying on easyJet from Luton to Edinburgh.

And our first stop couldn’t have been more apt. We arrived just in time for The Gathering, a huge meeting of Scottish clans from all over the world, held at Holyrood Park.

It was a grand introduction to a world of all things Scottish. For one thing, most of the men were wearing kilts, the air was filled with the sound of bagpipes and drums, and we even settled down to watch some world class Highland Games. After all, what could be more traditionally Scottish than men in skirts (sorry, kilts) tossing the caber?

The children weren’t very taken with the 120 clan tents, as there was none marking my husband’s surname. But they did enjoy the atmosphere, waving their Scottish flags, and particularly the vast amount of Scottish shortbread they were allowed to try (they must have had more sugar in just over a week in Scotland than they have in months down south).

There was also the chance for our son to meet his namesake, Robert the Bruce; who’d have thought we’d have named him so aptly?

But although the children had fun, we just couldn’t persuade our Robbie to try on a kilt. The usual bribes didn’t work, and when the tears began to fall, we gave in and let him pose for a photo holding, rather than wearing, the kilt. The Scottish magic hadn’t yet taken full effect.

We left Edinburgh after two nights and drove to St Andrews. We didn’t feel we had any choice. After all, it was Andrew who became the Scottish saint, and whose cross is on the flag. St Andrews is also the spiritual home of golf and it was the one place that got my husband misty-eyed.

St Andrews was an unexpected hit with the children. They both liked visiting the (now ruined) abbey, and enjoyed dipping their toes into the sea and running back laughing. And of course, they absolutely adored their visit to B Jannettas, the award-winning ice cream parlour.

Do you notice a food theme yet? If not, let me tell you that by the end of the holiday, the children had fallen in love with macaroon and tablet (both designed to destroy your teeth) but had begun asking for “no more chips” and if they could please have some fruit and vegetables!

We then drove from St Andrews to Dundee, and our – mutually agreed – favourite hotel. The Apex was brilliantly located, both by the river Tay and very near to the city centre. It also had free DVDs for the kids and a swimming pool. My daughter, who’s 7, proclaimed it her favourite hotel ever - although this may have had something to do with watching Finding Nemo on the DVD while eating her room service supper.

Dundee was a brilliant city to stay in with kids and it was a shame we were only there for a day. We particularly enjoyed our visit to the RSS Discovery, the ship on which Captain Scott made his way to the Antarctic. Visitors are welcome to explore the ship and the award winning museum, we did both and were very impressed. It really is an excellent attraction, with lots of interactive exhibits.

Enjoying the four poster bed at Ethie Castle

From Dundee we drove to Ethie Castle, near Arbroath, where the children were thrilled to see a four poster bed in our room. The castle itself dates from the 14th century, although it’s now an upmarket B&B. It was a very special place to stay, particularly when our hostess, Kirstin, showed us her amazing gardens and the children picked their own carrots and took eggs from the hen house. They – poor town children – talked about this for days.

We were soon back in the car. Ethie is not far from Kirremuir, the birthplace of JM Barrie. We visited the plain little whitewashed cottage at 9 Brechin Rd which has its upper floors furnished as they may have been when Barrie lived there. There is also a special Peter Pan room, which the children loved.

With a statue of Peter Pan in the rain while visiting Kirremuir

From Kirremuir, we drove right across the country to Oban. It poured with rain for the whole four-hour journey, not an unusual occurrence. Robbie pointed this out, saying “it rains every day in Scotland”.

It was during this drive that I realised we were probably cramming in too much, although I’m not sure what we should have left out. However, for anyone planning a similar Scottish roadtrip with young children, I’d suggest waiting until they are a little older, or driving slightly less.

We arrived in Oban (still in the pouring rain) in the evening, but were cheered by the lovely B&B we were staying in, called the Glenburnie House. We didn’t even have to share a room with the children, who slept next door to us. Bliss!

Oban is beautiful, but we didn’t have much time to stop and sightsee as we took the early ferry to Mull. The 45-minute crossing was very smooth and on arrival at Craignure we drove straight to Tobermory for the highlight of the holiday (not least because we actually stayed two nights in one place).

Tobermory is famous – at least in our house – for “really” being Balamory, home of the popular TV series. Its coloured buildings have achieved worldwide fame (not all to the liking of locals), even though the show stopped being made in 2004. We even stayed in Josie Jump’s house (actually called the Park Lodge Guest House) which was excellently located, and even more fantastically for those with families, offered two rooms behind a blocked off corridor. We loved not sharing with our snoring son and early-riser daughter.

We found Tobermory – and Mull – utterly charming and wish we could have stayed longer. The island is simply beautiful, with gorgeous scenery, lots to do and a relaxing, laid back atmosphere. Tobermory itself has a great ambience, lovely shops to visit (including Tobermory Chocolate, which may be better known to Balamory fans as Edie McCreadie’s garage) and more than enough restaurants.

We also visited Tobermory Farm, where my daughter fed the sheep and rabbits, and Calgary beach, about an hour’s drive away, which was just glorious and so unspoilt.

On the way back we missed our ferry (it’s a long story!) so had to improvise our route to the mainland. We are so glad we did, as it included some of the most stunning scenery I have ever seen. First we took a different ferry, sailing for all of ten minutes, and then drove through the Highlands to catch ferry number two (a five minute journey this time) and arrive near Fort William. It was a magnificent detour.

Our last day was spent in Glasgow. But last was definitely not least. After all, the trip was inspired by football and we ended it with a visit to Scotland’s national football stadium, Hampden.

The tour was excellent, taking in the history of Scottish football, visits to home and away changing rooms, the chance to take a shot at goal and, of course, a walk down the famous tunnel.

Now, of course, was the perfect moment to ask the children how Scottish they felt, and what they had learnt. They had, they assured us, loved the holiday. We had one more question to ask: would Robbie, who wouldn’t try on a kilt, agree to put on a Scotland kit? He would, and without even a bribe.
“I have three football teams now,” he said, as he pulled on the navy shorts. “I have Tottenham, Scotland and England.” I didn’t dare ask the order of preference.

For more information about planning your perfect break to Scotland, see www.visitscotland.com. We were their guests for this holiday break.

We've teamed up with the Time Traveller linky from Mari's World. It's great fun - and shares posts from the past.....

 

This article first appeared in The Times online.

Finding our family roots in Scotland (July/August 2009)

My husband has long been accused of “marrying out”. By this, his friends mean that he, a proud Scot, married a girl from London, with an English accent which seems stronger (and posher) each time I visit Scotland. An English wife was bad enough, but now my husband has two English children as well.

Or at least he did have. Now he has two children who see themselves as half Scottish. And all thanks to a jokey conversation and a holiday. Let me explain...

It all began with a discussion about the fine England results since Fabio Capello became manager.
“I think we should get Robbie [our four year old son] an England football kit,” I said mischievously.
My husband went white. I’d obviously hit a nerve.
“Er?then we have to get him a Scotland kit as well,” he retorted.
I decided to call his bluff. “That’s fine,” I said. “He can have both.”
The face grew even paler.
“He just can’t have an England strip” responded my husband firmly.

I pointed out then that the children had little idea of their Scottish roots, so perhaps it was time to find out more. A few months later we were flying on easyJet from Luton to Edinburgh.

And our first stop couldn’t have been more apt. We arrived just in time for The Gathering, a huge meeting of Scottish clans from all over the world, held at Holyrood Park.

Read more »

What's the story in Balamory? A family holiday to Mull (August 2009)

‘I hear it’s a bit grim,’ my Glaswegian friend told me when I said that we were planning a trip to Tobermory (better known as Balamory, setting for the eponymous children’s TV series) on the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. I tried to forget the comment, but as our holiday began to get nearer, I did begin to worry.

We began our trip in Oban, a gorgeous town full of shops and restaurants, before taking the ferry to Mull. The trip takes around 45 minutes, but Tobermory – the largest town on the island – is another scenic 45-minute drive. When you get there, it’s quite a thrill to see all those famous colourful buildings along the main street. Having said that, apparently locals are quite happy that Balamory has gone slightly off the radar since the series stopped being made in 2004 – they weren’t thrilled to have quite so many toddler tourists!

Other than Josie Jump’s Guest House, otherwise known as Park Lodge, where we stayed, most of the homes are privately owned, and we didn’t dare knock on doors. We did, however, ask Rebecca, our hostess, to give us a map marking the ‘Balamory’ locations and then quietly sought them out. As many of the houses have since been re-painted, Rebecca told our four-year-old son that the character Spencer had given them different colours. He seemed quite happy with that explanation, albeit disappointed to discover that Archie’s castle isn’t on the island at all.

This two-star hotel was an excellent place to stay with children – clean, centrally located and with friendly, helpful staff. It also offered good family accommodation in the form of two separate rooms at the end of a closed-off corridor (£165), which meant the children could walk from one room to another safely but that we didn’t have to sleep with our snoring son!

Tobermory was built as a fishing port in the 18th century and its pier now boasts the excellent and very reasonably priced Fish & Chip Van, with food so good it has its own specially created category in Les Routiers guide.

Sampling some fare from the Fish & Chip van

The town has a great ambience – laidback but not too quiet – and offers lots of accommodation options and plenty of place to eat and drink, many with children’s menus. We were impressed by the organic Island Bakery and the upmarket, expensive but luscious Tobermory Chocolate, which kids will be interested to know was once Edie McCreadie’s Garage.

There’s a lot to do on Mull, and I would recommend hiring a car to fully appreciate the beaches and activities on offer, which include whalewatching. ‘Balamory’ fans might also like to travel on the Mull Narrow Gauge Railway near the ferry at Craignure, which made a number of appearances in the TV programme.
For something quite different, catch a ferry to historic Iona, although be aware that the drive to its main village, Fionnphort, takes almost 2hrs.

One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to Tobermory Farm, where the kids fed sheep and rabbits and played on the bouncy castle. We also drove to unspoilt, beautiful Calgary beach along a single-track road that was a little hairy at times but absolutely worth it.

I only wish we had longer on Mull. And when I rang my Scottish friend to tell her how wrong she’d been, she decided to plan a trip to Tobermory too.

(We visited Tobermory in 2009 and this piece appeared on Take the Family.com)

What's the story in Balamory? A family holiday to Mull (August 2009)

‘I hear it’s a bit grim,’ my Glaswegian friend told me when I said that we were planning a trip to Tobermory (better known as Balamory, setting for the eponymous children’s TV series) on the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. I tried to forget the comment, but as our holiday began to get nearer, I did begin to worry.

We began our trip in Oban, a gorgeous town full of shops and restaurants, before taking the ferry to Mull. The trip takes around 45 minutes, but Tobermory – the largest town on the island – is another scenic 45-minute drive. When you get there, it’s quite a thrill to see all those famous colourful buildings along the main street. Having said that, apparently locals are quite happy that Balamory has gone slightly off the radar since the series stopped being made in 2004 – they weren’t thrilled to have quite so many toddler tourists!

Read more »