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Ginormous queues, overpriced everything and the added stress of ever-changing border restrictions: Disneyland Paris feels like a bit of a faff right now, doesn’t it? But here’s a decent alternative: a beautiful, bright-pink, straight-out-of-a-fairy-tale castle in Scotland.
The Pink Castle is a fourteenth-century fortress near Largs in north Ayrshire. It was fully renovated in 2013, but still features all your classic castle stuff: turrets, spiral staircases, stained-glass windows... the whole shebang. Screw you, Disney!
The basics include four bedrooms, a fully-equipped kitchen and three bathrooms (plus two separate loos). The whole place should be able to fit you and seven mates.
But that isn’t all. The list of on-site luxuries is enough to make anyone feel like a pampered Disney princess. Decked out in locally sourced stone and wood, the Pink Castle also has its own hot tub, sauna and a serene garden with its own moat-like stream.
Bang in the middle of the Scottish countryside, it’s also the perfect base for a weekend full of hiking and cycling, plus is only two miles from Largs, which has plenty of pubs, shops and restaurants. There are also tennis courts and golf courses nearby, as well as a visitor centre detailing the area’s rich Viking history.
All in all, it sounds much, much better than spending four hours queuing up for Big Thunder Mountain. The Pink Castle usually only accepts a minimum stay of one week, with prices starting at £2,240 (dogs are an extra £20 each). Check availability and find out more here.
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No, it’s not pee: you can bathe in actual champagne at this hotel in the UK
These otherworldly glamping pods have landed in the Welsh wilderness