22 | DAY OUT TO M&D’s
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Big Thrills, Wee Trips: A Day Out to M&D’s
BY DANIELLE ANDERSON
WHEN the end of June hits and the last school bell rings. Children are filled with excitement for the next eight weeks of lie ins, fun and adventure. Meanwhile us parents are dreading the thought of how we are going to keep them entertained! And as much as there are so many great things to do locally, we sometimes need to get more creative when you have a 12-year-old who has done it all before. A day trip to Scotland sounded like a perfect day out, with everything from coach transfers, ferry crossing and park tickets already organised by Skelton Travel it was a sigh of relief for a busy working mum. With an early morning start myself and my daughter, Ellie set off to our pickup point where we met the luxury coach with a friendly smile from our driver and the Lovely Ruth who looked after us for the day ahead.
With a short journey to the ferry terminal, we hopped on board the Stena Superfast VII from Belfast to Cairnryan. We were free to enjoy the sailing across the Irish sea. After checking out the views as the sun was rising sailing out of the lough, we had a filling breakfast in the ‘Taste’ restaurant, a casual dining restaurant with plenty of food options to suit everyone and the portion sizes were great – not to forget the free coffee refills which I very much needed for the day ahead. After breakfast we looked around the ferry and discovered how much there is to do to keep you busy, you can enjoy a drink in the bar or indulge in some retail therapy.
If
you want somewhere a bit quieter, you can unwind in the Hygge Lounge or even book a treatment in the Pure Nordic Spa.
be used for all outside rides, in the arcade, bowling, soft play and a lot of the indoor and outdoor food outlets. The points are loaded on to a card and never go out of date to use if you go back again. Walking through the lobby hearing the and
music screams getting louder, the
anticipation was building and Ellie excitedly tried to decide which ride to try first. This was her first time in a big theme park (other than Barry’s) however she clocked that there was a show coming on “how to train your velociraptor” which we went to first. With all the buzz around the new Jurassic Park movie, the crowd were eagerly awaiting to get to
September/October 2025
meet a few of these prehistoric beasts. From dinosaur hatchlings to a life size velociraptor, the rangers explained some interesting facts and commands which was great fun for all the family. There were different themed activities throughout the day you can check them out online to make the most of your time there. To get our adrenaline pumping we made our way around some of the rides, tapping our wrist band to gain access. For the bigger kids (and us fun loving adults) there were the classic rides like the Captains Curse, Dancing Galleons, Runaway Mine Train & Dodgems with so many more and you could ride as many times as you like. The kid’s selection was also impressive with the Big Apple, Flying Jumbos & Bungee Trampolines proving to be popular. We soon discovered that “big rides” were not Ellie’s cup of tea with her leaving handprint marks on my arm where she gripped on for dear life and turning a similar shade of white to the delicious soft serve ice cream we used to cool down.
For the kids there are play areas, a cinema and some gaming stations and of course the all-important Wi-Fi keeping my tween connected and not eye rolling! I was really impressed with how much space there was onboard and plenty to keep everyone entertained for the journey. Now onwards to M&D’s theme park with a nice scenic journey of seaside towns and green fields on our comfortable and air- conditioned coach. We reached Scotland’s largest theme park. We walked through the front door and were hit with the smell of popcorn and candy floss – instantly taking me back to my childhood. We received our wristbands which can be used on most rides in the park. You can also purchase ‘fun points’ – I recommend doing this before going as you can get bonus points for free – these act as a currency and can
Taking a more relaxed approach, we decided to see what else we could do in the park and was delighted to find Amazonia – a temperature controlled tropical house, themed around the Amazon Rainforest. Both being animal lovers we thoroughly enjoyed here. There were many different species of monkeys, snakes, parrots and more, as well as our personal favourite the bats and Kinkajous in the nocturnal area. They also have animal handling sessions throughout the day too. We tried our luck in Game Zone, one of Scotland’s largest indoor game arcades. From classic penny fall machines to a F1 race car simulator there was something to suit everyone. Of course, I made a bee line to the claw machines – who doesn’t love to win a teddy? We collected our winning tickets, and Ellie picked a prize from the counter. We worked up an appetite and made our way to get some lunch. It was set up like an indoor street with multiple restaurants serving up all different types of food. Whether it’s for a
snack or a bit of pub grub, even the fussiest of eaters would find something. We opted for Mario & Dino’s for pizza and the best garlic dough balls I’ve ever tasted!
Our day in M& Ds was coming to an end, yet there was so much more you could do like the Cosmic Bowl ten pin bowling or the Walk the Plank Sky trail. We hopped back on the coach for the journey home and even though Ellie isn’t the thrill seeker she thought she was, she said she would like to go back because there was so much more to do. A stress-free day from start to finish had us smiling, laughing and making memories, which is what summer is all about. Let’s see where the next trip takes us.
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