Have you ever noticed how the history lessons in schools always focus on the important people of the important events in our history? Well, in case nobody told the people writing history books, the little people and small events count just as much.

Without the ordinary man on the street and the ordinary events of daily life, there is no real history. The important parts of human history are founded and solidly built on a foundation laid by the little people. And so, Edinburgh offers the world a glimpse into the lives of the ordinary little people of the past.

Humble beginnings

The People’s Story is a museum in Edinburgh that is housed in what is the Cannongate Tollbooth. Formerly the Cannongate Tollbooth was used as a tax collecting office, a court and even, believe it or not, a prison. This little historic gem is home to everyday life from the latter part of the 18th century right up until the present day.

You get to see, smell and hear what life was like back in the day. When you visit The People’s Story you will need to rest your head in the same town the museum promotes. This means searching for accommodation in Edinburgh.

This can seem like a nightmare when you are trawling through hotel options. Hotels are not cheap and not as comfortable as home. Why not stay in a serviced apartment in Edinburgh for your visit? You can rest your head in the comfort of home and still receive the benefits of a hotel stay in serviced apartments in Edinburgh.

The Urban Rat race has taken the world by storm and the Edinburgh Urban Rat Race event is something many people will simply not miss. The Rat Race has even taken supreme sports out of the countryside and put it slap-dab in the middle of cities.

The Edinburgh Rat race is held yearly. It includes gamut events such as the Mean Streets event that participants cover on foot over a three-hour period. The Rat Race events are kept secret and none of the participants knows until just before the start.

These adventure and adrenaline junkies turn the city of Edinburgh upside down, as they kayak, abseil, bike and run around. Regular participants will tell you the only constant is that nothing is ever the same.

Urban rats unite

Some of the events are physically gruelling and others are absolutely hilarious. It is little wonder that people come from all over to be part of this modern day rat race with a twist. This eagerly awaited yearly event caters to people with varying levels of fitness. All that is needed is a thirst for adventure as teams of three thunder around having as much fun as possible.

Rat Racers book accommodation in serviced apartments well ahead of the event so as to be sure they have their accommodation in hand. Serviced apartments in Edinburgh hold great appeal for the Rat Racers as it is economical.

It has all the possible comforts of home and can accommodate groups as well as families. After the rats have raced their hearts out, they come to relax and kick off their shoes in their well-appointed serviced apartment.

Museums are always faithful tourist attractions wherever you go. No matter the country, no matter the region, you will always find that people are drawn to the myriad of museums around the world. And rightly so too. Museums showcase human history, everything that has come before. They are filled with things from another time and another place, almost as if the things inside them are from another world altogether. Edinburgh has many museums, but none that can rival the Writer’s Museum.

History of a written kind

When people talk about written history they are normally referring to what we know today because of things that were written down centuries ago. But the Writer’s Museum in Edinburgh offers you written history in the form of actual manuscripts. Literally pacing through the pages of time is far more interesting than any history lesson in school.

To make things even more tantalizing the Kakar’s Court is just adjacent to the Writer’s museum. There you can see poets from the 14th century up to modern time celebrated. This kind of cultural history is far too much to take in on a mere day trip. Staying over in Edinburgh is made affordable thanks to serviced apartments in Edinburgh. These apartments are paid for per night and not per person.

So you can take the whole family on a historic adventure without damaging your budget. The serviced apartments in Edinburgh come with a host of services of your choice, which makes your stay carefree. Why not enjoy a bit of history and an affordable stay at the same time?

Museums draw crowds from far and wide and the more unique they are the more people they draw to them. Every city in the UK is bound to have a museum of some kind, but not all of them have a Museum of Childhood.

Edinburgh, on the other hand, has just such a museum to offer you. History boffins and inquisitive people alike are drawn to this museum that has been devoted to children throughout the ages.

Family outings

In our modern day and age it can be difficult to get your children to accompany you to a museum or any place of cultural or historical interest. To put it simply, a lot of old things gathering dust isn’t a child’s idea of fun. However, the Museum of Childhood, Edinburgh, has more to offer adults and children than simply a collection gathering dust.

This museum is crammed with toys, games, clothes, and so much more that gives you an insight to how children in Edinburgh and all over the world grew up through the ages. Be warned that this museum is labelled as the noisiest in the world, a sure fire feature to grab a child’s attention.

Family outings to other cities can seem daunting. But not trips to Edinburgh. When you visit the Museum of Childhood it would be wise to book yourself a serviced apartment in Edinburgh. These apartments are like a home away from home. Serviced apartments in Edinburgh offer you the feeling and comfort of home with all the great services of a hotel at a much lower cost.

One of the newest attractions of Edinburgh was launched recently. It is called the Trail of Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary was one of the most controversial Queens that ever lived. Scholars have studied her life for centuries to uncover the political intrigues that plagued her life. The life of this young queen reads like a saga of love, betrayal and murder and centuries after her death she still fascinates people.

The trail has been devised to let the visitor follow Mary’s short and traumatic life from her birth in 1452. The trail takes visitors through the most magnificent castles of Scotland and many majestic ruins. This tour shows people where Mary lived, the places she hid and where she died.

Living history

This magnificent historical tour will fascinated any history buff and is worth a special visit to Edinburgh. For visitors from out of town as well as international who come to walk in the shoes of Mary there are great serviced apartments to stay in. These serviced apartments are comfortable, well appointed and absolutely affordable especially for families and groups.

Charges are per apartment and not per person, thus making the tour to see the Trail of Mary even more special. Visitors can enjoy the tour and visit each place that is linked to Queen Mary’s life and rest at the cafe stops that form part of this unique tour.

They can then return to the comfort and privacy of their serviced apartment to relax. In addition to this visitors can explore and learn more about the area at their leisure.

Serviced City Pads today announced the launch of their new online booking system with significantly increased functionality for users.  The booking system can be viewed at www.servicedcitypads.com.

Replacing the contact form formally on our website, the new booking system enables users to book one or more serviced apartments online and includes a secure online payment facility.  Users can search for serviced apartments on the built-in map, both across the entire UK and also within cities, enabling them to see the apartments in relation to the city centre, landmarks, transport links and the actual distance in miles from any location, e.g. the venue for a business meeting.  Users can check the availability and price of single or multiple apartments on any given date and add multiple apartments to their basket, enabling them to find and pay for accommodation for any number of people at once.

“Serviced City Pads believe the online booking system is of great benefit to the Customer, offering a wide range of serviced apartments to select throughout the UK 7 days a week and 24 hours a day, this allows us to offer the customer the best available serviced apartments at the most competitive price”. Martin Holt Director Serviced City Pads comments. “We now have apartments listed in 14 cities throughout the UK which allows the customer to utilise the online booking system for multi-city stays which is particularly useful to our corporate customers. Serviced City Pads will be increasing their UK coverage and online booking service in 2009 thus giving the Corporate or Leisure customer a one stop shop for Serviced Apartments.”

For more information about Serviced City Pads please call on 0844 335 8866 International +44 151 709 8000 or e-mail info@servicedcitypads.com or visit www.servicedcitypads.com.

About Serviced City Pads:-
Established in 2007, Serviced City Pads is a Liverpool based company representing apartment operators across the United Kingdom. Serviced City Pads provides serviced apartments in Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, Chester, London, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Aberdeen and other cities to business travellers and private guests.

Edinburgh is a city steeped in ancient history. A history that has been controversial and often times extremely bloody as noblemen fought for the crown and clans forged alliances. Today the ancient and the modern rub shoulders in the bustling city of Edinburgh. It is one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

People come from all over to experience the wonders of the city. Castles have fascinated people for the longest time as it transports them back to a time of pomp and ceremony no longer found in our modern society. Edinburgh offers several castle tours for visitors that have many visitors coming back to experience more.

The list of majestic castles in and around Edinburgh includes Dumbarton Castle. It has the longest recorded history of any UK stronghold. There is Inchmahome Priority that dates back to 1238 where Mary Queen of Scots was brought for safety.

History comes alive

The landmark Edinburgh Castle that is a World Heritage site is not to be missed on any tour of the castles. Edinburgh Castle today still shrouds the mystery of Queen Mary’s son, James VI who is said to have died there. There are so many beautiful castles to visit that an itinerary is necessary for all visitors.

To make the most of a Castle Tour of Edinburgh, the best accommodation is getting a serviced apartment. Well-appointed, pristine and very affordable, these apartments suit visitors well.

They are cost-effective and visitors are not bound by timetables and come and go as they wish. The home comforts of a luxury, serviced apartment in Edinburgh allow visitors to settle in fully to focus on the enjoyment of touring the castles.

The dates for the 2010 Grand National have now been announced. The world’s most famous steeple chase will be run at Aintree, Liverpool on Saturday 10th April 2010, with a total of 3 days of great racing starting on Thursday 8th April.

Grand National weekend is the businest of the year in liverpool and it makes sense to book your accommodation as early as possible. Hotels in Liverpool become fully booked very early as do Liverpool serviced apartments – the alternative option to staying in a hotel. Book your accommodation as soon as possible to ensure that you stay in the heart of Liverpool city centre and benefit from everything that it has to offer.

Serviced City Pads will be able to offer you a great deal for your visit to Liverpool. We have a large number of serviced apartments across Liverpool to choose from.

To find out more call 0844 335 8866 and ask for a member of the booking team. We wil be delighted to make your reservation. We also have a number of apartments that are now available to book online.

Manchester has great golfing opportunities for all golfing enthusiasts and is well known to locals as well as visitors. Manchester Golf Club has a superb course that is a mixture of beautiful parkland and moorland and hosts many events. The annual Golf Week Festival is extremely popular with locals as well as people from other areas of the UK.

The Festival Week normally takes place in the first week of August each year. Golfing enthusiasts usually mark their calendars months ahead of the event to start planning their time in Manchester. This brings the question of accommodation to the top of the planning list for golfers.

Most of them want to be near the Manchester Golf Course in Hopwood to minimize travelling. This means all accommodation in that area will be highly sought after.

Home comforts

Obviously there are many hotels to choose from, but many golfers prefer a more relaxed atmosphere where they can feel at home. Serviced apartments fit this bill perfectly. There are serviced apartments in and around Hopwood to choose from, depending on the needs and wants of visitors.  Often couples come to Manchester for the annual Golf Week Festival and luxury serviced apartments are a top choice.

What better environment to come to each day after a day spent golfing to relax in all the comforts of home and total privacy? Luxury serviced apartments come with extra optional services such as maid service. These apartments usually have a 24-hour concierge as well.

The Manchester Golf Week festival offers great golfing for newcomers as well as seasoned golfers each year. Thus an economically priced serviced apartment is just the thing groups of golfing enthusiasts look for. It makes their stay as comfortable as possible.

The Edinburgh International Film Festival holds the title as the longest running festival in the world. This two-week festival takes place every year in Edinburgh since it was first held in 1947. The only recent change was that the festival period was moved from August and is now held in June every year.

This international festival brings film enthusiasts flocking to Edinburgh each year to be part of this vibrant festival. Visitors come to see the screening of feature length films, short films, animations as well as music videos and documentaries.

Local as well as overseas newspapers laud the Edinburgh International Festival as ‘the’ event not to be missed. Over the years, this festival has expanded to a truly amazing event. It is no wonder that people come from all over to be part of this festival. Many avid festival-goers book accommodation months in advance.

A great place to rest your head

Serviced apartments ranging from luxury apartments with several bedrooms, mid-range with well-appointed fittings are very popular. Groups of young festival-goers often club together for a highly economical serviced apartment in the mid or economy range. As serviced apartments charge per apartment and not per person, this is an excellent saving for groups.

Serviced apartments are not only hugely popular because of the economic price. These apartments appeal to families and groups because of the comfort and relaxed atmosphere they have.

People have total privacy, well-appointed accommodation where they can come and go according to their own schedules. Festival-goers can attend whatever festival events they wish and return to their apartment without inconveniencing anyone.