Cyclists not welcome at Glamis Castle.
Grandis
Posts: 7
A few of the guys at work and I regularly go out for a 40 mile social ride. Recently we have been stopping off at the cafe at Glamis Castle for a spot of nourishment. Normally we get a cheery wave from the guy at the pay booth and he allows us through to the cafe at the rear. However, today we encountered a jobsworth who wanted to charge us each £4.20 for entrance to the grounds. We politely explained that we didn't want to visit the grounds nor the castle, we just wanted a quick snack like we always do. He was not having it and told us it was company policy and refused us entry unless we paid. We refused and the upshot was that we they lost £20 or £30 in revenue and we took our custom elsewhere. May I add we are all decent guys in their mid forties.
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Comments
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Grandis wrote:May I add we are all decent guys in their mid forties.
So? i'm not sure what diffence this makes
(unless middle age men are more worthy of respect than anyone else)blog: bellevedere0 -
Their loss my friend.
There's always the pub
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It's never been the same since Macbeth left!0
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Scottish person won't pay money to get in shocker.0
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Porgy wrote:I think so
:P
Well in that case [and you'll have to imagine the appropriate hand gesture here] RESPEC'blog: bellevedere0 -
I'd just head on up to Kirrie for a cake & ice cream at Visocchi's0
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Grandis wrote:However, today we encountered a jobsworth who wanted to charge us each £4.20 for entrance to the grounds. We politely explained that we didn't want to visit the grounds nor the castle, we just wanted a quick snack like we always do. He was not having it and told us it was company policy and refused us entry unless we paid.
The other guy had probably got fired for letting people in free of charge....
It's not really fair to say 'cyclists not welcome' at Glamis. 'Freeloaders not welcome' might be more accurate...
Sorry to sound unsympathetic, but the fact is, if you want to get into Glamis, you have to pay....and you have simply been lucky up until now...0 -
Thanks for comments guys. Never been called a freeloader before. I have visited the castle on numerous times over the years and been quite happy to pay for the priviledge.
On our rides over the last year we have been visiting the cafe on a regular basis for a 10 minute cakestop. We had no intention of entering the castle or getting something for nothing.0 -
the 'freeloader' comment was tongue-in-cheek, Grandis...
You say you had no intention of getting something for nothing - but that's exactly what you were doing. You were getting in free when you weren't supposed to be....0 -
I can sort of understand why you're irked about this - the management of the castle really are being idiotically short-sighted by making the cafe only accessible to those who pay the entrance fee - maybe you should put a suggestion for changes straight to the owner/ manager.
But the title of this thread is highly misleading - as someone pointed out. In what way exactly are cyclists not welcome at Glamis Castle?0 -
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Porgy wrote:I can sort of understand why you're irked about this - the management of the castle really are being idiotically short-sighted by making the cafe only accessible to those who pay the entrance fee - maybe you should put a suggestion for changes straight to the owner/ manager.
But the title of this thread is highly misleading - as someone pointed out. In what way exactly are cyclists not welcome at Glamis Castle?
Hahahahaha...... to the owner?
"Dear Queen, Please can you fix it for us to have a scone and a cup of tea in your cafe.........0 -
Cyclists also unwelcome at 99% of tourist attractions that have an entry fee...0
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Errmm - the OP is annoyed because a place with an entry fee won't let him in for free.
So by that logic, anywhere with an entry fee that won't waive it for cyclists to have a cup of tea doesn't like cyclists either.
Can't believe I had to explain that... 0 -
There is a tourist attraction near me that has a tea shop, they charge visitors but you can use the cafe without paying. That's a better proposition as far as I'm concerned, locate the cafe in such a way as to benefit from paying and non paying customers.0
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Surf-Matt wrote:Errmm - the OP is annoyed because a place with an entry fee won't let him in for free.
So by that logic, anywhere with an entry fee that won't waive it for cyclists to have a cup of tea doesn't like cyclists either.
Can't believe I had to explain that...
you're right - sorry, I'm getting old.....
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I think that Glamis are being a bit silly re this.
The Castle, which is open to visitors who pay the entry fee, is located a bit away from the cafe, which sits in it's own area. You can't enter the castle without going through a ticket check, making it impossible to sneak in.....anyway.....the noise of cleats on stone would be a dead giveaway.......0 -
All that's required here is a bit of common sense - it works well at Traquair House, where the staff on the gate seem more than happy to let cyclists in to just use the cafe. Everyone wins - cyclist get food, Traquair gets cafe income.
Okay, maybe Glamis are concerned that cyclists might abuse the freebie by nipping round the gardens for a free look at the rhododendrons, but I'd have thought it would be easy enough to monitor whether any lycra clad, cleated shoe wearing types are hobbling round the grounds rather than scoffing carrot cake at the cafe.0 -
Hi Folks,
Just want to say that cyclists are most certainly welcome at Glamis. We do look after you, providing bike racks, secure storage space for any gear / helmets you may wish to leave etc.
The issue over payment arises because this is not a public park and does not receive any financial help from government agencies. That means in order to maintain the castle and grounds in the beautiful condition they are we have to rely on paying visitors. That's been the case since 1950 when the place first opened to the public. (Might add that the cost to keep Scotland's heritage going is astronomical!)
To help locals get the best out of Glamis and to allow them to come and go as many times as they like throughout the year we have a Friends scheme. It gives unlimited access (including tours) to castle and grounds, special event invitations, discount in shops, restaurant and at other local attractions. All from £11.30 per year.
Just wanted to explain situation but main point is, cyclists are welcome.0 -
Maybe the cost of getting in helps subsidise the cafe? If the cafe is not able to support itself then the policy makes perfect sense.0
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I think 11.50 a year is a reasonable price to pay for the use of the cafe all year round and support Scottish heritage to boot. Put in a bulk application and you might even get a discount.I have only two things to say to that; Bo***cks0
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I thought you only had to pay due to being in a car? Tatton Park you can get in free if you are a cyclist.0
