A blooming good time to get out and about - things to do in March

All four seasons have their plus points - winter for cosying up by the fire on cold, dark nights and you get Christmas too. Autumn brings us the dazzling display of colours as the leaves turn from lush green to burnt orange, and summer delivers the long-awaited warm sunshine. That said, it’s a hit or miss in Scotland and it's not unknown for us to have four seasons in one day.

However, spring seems to be popular. It's the season that marks the end of winter giving us a glimpse of the promise of summer. Our gardens start to come to life after months of hibernation as little shoots start to appear. I suppose spring is a time for us to reawaken and dust ourselves down too and if we start making plans to get out and about, it might just put a spring back in our step.

This week, I've been looking at some of the things you can do to say hello to March and hopefully the start of a lovely spring coming our way. March is also the month the clocks go forward so we should see some lighter nights and hopefully some nicer weather. It’s time to blow off the cobwebs and get out and about.

A bit of spring cleaning for the soul…

We are blessed with some beautiful coastal and country walks in Scotland. If you don’t want to venture too far from home but fancy taking the air and getting a bit of exercise at the same time, you should check out the routes on The Angus Tour. visit www.visitangus.com/theangustour and plan a day of exploring the scenic beauty that’s on your doorstep. Get a few friends together and make a day of it.

Another place that’s nice to visit in spring is Edinburgh. When it gets to July and August, it can be really busy and battling with throngs of tourists isn’t as enjoyable as meandering around the city when it’s a little quieter.

Take a stroll around Princes Street Gardens or visit one of the many great attractions. Or if you want to head a little further away from the main hotspots, the port of Leith isn’t far. I always think Leith is very under-rated. There’s some brilliant bars and restaurants you can go to. The Kitchin, Tom Kitchin’s Michelin star restaurant is here, as is Restaurant Martin Wishart if you want to add fine dining to your itinerary.

You should drop into The Royal Yacht Britannia which is berthed at Ocean Terminal. Taking a tour of this former Royal residence is a great way to spend an hour or two if you’re in this neck of the woods.

Another good option for a break in March is the beautiful Lake District. It will also be less crowded ahead of the Easter holidays and there’s a cracking event on which sounds like a lot of fun. Words by the Water festival is taking place from Tuesday, March 15 until Sunday, March 20 March. This celebration of literature is held at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick and is attended by writers and festivalgoers alike. For a full run down of what to expect visit www.wayswithwords.co.uk

Or if all you want to do is chill out and admire the lovely scenery, simply base yourself in one of the pretty towns such as Ambleside, Bowness-on-Windermere, Keswick or Kendal. Each of them has their own unique charm. For ideas on where to stay go to www.visitlakedistrict.com

There’s loads of great places in Scotland and indeed around the United Kingdom that would be ideal for a day trip or short break but you could always jet off to foreign shores.

Overseas travel is now slightly easier now that Covid restrictions are lifting. After lockdown, many of us are itching to get back on a plane. How about a couple of days in the glitzy French capital? You can pick up reasonably priced flights to Paris from Edinburgh or Glasgow and you could be gazing at the mighty Eiffel Tower or cruising down the Seine. Who wouldn’t love Paris in the springtime?

Or, if some sunshine is the order of the day, why not jet off to the Spanish Costas or the sun-kissed Canary Islands. Spring is a lovely time to visit when the weather is rather lovely but not too hot for walking around and doing a bit of exploring. It’s bound to be warmer than here!

I found some good deals on www.loveholidays.com flying from Scottish airports. Go on; take a look and treat yourself to some well-deserved R&R!

You see, it doesn’t really matter what time of year it is. If you want a change of scene to get your mojo back, the possibilities are plentiful but at least in springtime you might be able to banish the winter coat and boots to the back of the wardrobe for a wee while anyway.

Spring is on the way and it’s time to make some blooming great plans.