A Malt Whisky Festival, Mozart In Bath, The Nutcracker Reimagined, And Some Christmas Markets | Travel Research Online

I know that during November and December, thoughts turn to either staying closer to home or heading for sunnier climes. Given the pent-up demand for UK-bound travel among many of your anglophile clients, use some of these ideas to start conversations about spending a few days in the UK, either side of Thanksgiving.

Several of them might be tempted sampling their favourite single malts among other aficionados at the Malt Whisky Festival in northeast Scotland, while others (like me) will be attracted to the baroque tones at the Mozartfest in the Georgian city of Bath. Others will like the of combining great stately homes and castles imaginatively dressed for the festive season with gluhwein, bratwurst, and mince pies at Christmas Markets in historic settings. Families will certainly enjoy taking a spin in some pretty spectacular locations in and around London.

Look closely. Think carefully. Opportunities to sell these brilliant ideas have been missed in the past. Don’t let them happen in the future. With so much to choose from, let’s fine-tune your choice, add a few more bells and whistles, and gift wrap it for your customers.

Enjoy A Few Wee Drams Rescheduled for 3rd-8th November 2021, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has developed into one of the largest of its kind anywhere in the world. With a programme of over seven hundred whisky-inspired events over six days staged in distilleries old and new, charming village halls, local whisky bars, historic castles, and old farmsteads in the great outdoors. Each one guarantees a totally unique experience. If you can’t make it in November, let’s talk about next year’s festival taking place between 27th April-2nd May 2022.

The Mozartfest In Bath If Mozart is music to your ears (as it is to mine), then don’t miss a spectacular celebration of musical genius at the annual Bath Mozartfest this November. Between 13th – 20th November, fifteen concerts will be performed by world-renowned artists in the opulent surroundings of the Assembly Room, the centre of the social scene in the 18th century. Since its inception in 1991, it is now firmly established as one of Europe’s leading classical music festivals. The spotlight shines brightly on Mozart, his contemporaries, and those he influenced.

The St Nicholas Fayre Returns to York Running between 18th November – 23rd December, the scents of spiced mulled wine will fill the air around dozens of colourfully decorated alpine chalets lining the narrow, cobbled streets of the great Viking city of York. With this as the backdrop, time your visit to coincide with the Early Music Christmas Festival (3rd-11th December) and be thoroughly entertained by the extraordinary wealth of music associated with Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. Make sure to add a side trip to Castle Howard, where the State Rooms will be transformed into the magical land of Narnia.

Discover Chester and Chatsworth At Christmas This four-nighter is based on Manchester’s Christmas Market, arguably the biggest and the best in the UK. The itinerary includes a step back in time to the nearby former Roman city of Chester, where you’ll find over 70 wooden chalets wrapped around the iconic Christmas tree opposite the 11th century cathedral. Also included, a visit to the great treasure house of Chatsworth. You’ll see scenes from classic tales woven throughout the house to create a storybook-world, guaranteed to set your imagination running wild this Christmas season.

Enjoy A Cornucopia Of Christmas Markets This programme starts with a visit to see the Christmas display in Windsor Castle. This includes the magnificent, 20-foot-high Nordmann Fir in St George’s Hall, dressed with hundreds of iridescent glass and mirrored ornaments before reaching Winchester, the first and former capital if England. Take a spin on the covered ice rink adjacent to the cathedral before enjoying mulled wine, bratwurst, mince pies, and stollen at their Christmas Market. One hour to the west of Winchester, the cathedral city of Salisbury will show how Christmas transforms the heart of the medieval city.

Get Your Skates On There’s nothing more festive than London at Christmas time. Spend a day at the Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park. Add in an evening of Christmas carols or a performance of Mathilda? Take a spin around some of London’s best ice-skating rinks. Be enthralled by the sparkle of London’s Christmas lights, discover the Tudor Christmas at Hampton Court, and skate on their ice rink with the Palace as the backdrop. Add a side trip to the Warner Brothers Making of Harry Potter, a spectacular addition to any London visit.

Paull Tickner, owner of U.K-based Custom GB, is known for his expertise in creating and operating imaginative, value-added tours of Great Britain and Ireland. Visit his website at www.customgb.co.uk or email him at ptickner@customgb.co.uk.