The welcome
From the outside, the Victorian grey stone hotel in the village square is nothing special, which makes the inside even more surprising. Fashionable grey walls, modern lighting, wooden floors, abstract art and a strong whiff of perfumed air, which can be traced to the large dispenser above the original doors, greet us. A friendly Hungarian receptionist perched behind a tall, large chunk of local larch wood, gives us our keys and offers to help with the bags. The only nod to the Highlands is a chandelier made out of a dozen antlers.
The neighbourhood
There are no mixed messages about the location. The Scottish Highlands are one of the most scenic places in the world and Dunalastair Hotel is tucked between the eastern bank of Loch Rannoch and the craggy slopes of Craig Varr. The snow-topped summit of nearby Schiehallion, is one of the most popular mountains for walkers in the area. It is a two-hour drive and another world from the city of Edinburgh. Rannoch Station, a 20-minute drive away, enjoys fame as being the prettiest, most isolated railway station in the United Kingdom. This is where the road literally runs out and there is no better way of arriving than on the overnight sleeper train from London.
The scene
This is prime hillwalking country and most visitors come to do exactly that. The hotel is also a perfect base for the two main local sports, shooting and fishing. The area not only feels like a film set, but often is. So every now and again the hotel plays host to film crews. The Outlander series, Harry Potter and Trainspotting are a few of the many films shot here. Between the restaurant and the lounge hangs a framed kilt worn by Liam Neeson when he played Rob Roy.
The room
The 32 rooms are all different shapes although the interiors are similar. Each one has a view and the bedheads change colour according to the outlook. My room overlooks the waterfall and so it is blue. On the other side the view is of the hills and the bedheads are beige or brown. Most rooms are large with wide, cushion-covered beds, sofas and little kitchenettes with a fridge, microwave and sink. Bathrooms are marble and modern. Mine has a large shower but no bath. There are a couple of family rooms with interconnecting bedrooms and one bedroom has a pretty, small, circular dining area with a perfect view of Craig Varr. The honeymoon suite is a fabulous, quirky, turreted room, great on character but best avoided by tall people because of the low ceilings.
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Read more:
Driving through Scotland in an Aston Martin
Out with the old in Edinburgh New Town, Scotland
My kind of place: Leith, Scotland
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The service
The hotel opened last year after a long and expensive refurb. Disappointingly, hardly any of the staff are Scottish but there is a fresh enthusiasm. Nothing is too much trouble and service is speedy and friendly. General manager Richard Deak lives next door and never seems to go home. He loves his job and it shows.
The food
The dining area, Edina's Kitchen, is in a long narrow room that doubles as the corridor to the lounge. The food is tasty though, particularly the smoked salmon, which came in sandwiches, as a starter, and in the risotto. The menu, which changes daily, feels Scottish enough with haggis sometimes making an appearance. A 31-day aged Scottish steak is £29.95 (Dh147) and a sharing plate of Rannoch smoked meats is £12.95 (Dh63). Breakfast is a mix of self-service breads, fruit, cereal and juices with waiters serving freshly cooked eggs to order. The hotel also has a large patio where diners can eat. Full afternoon tea, (scones with jam and cream, cakes, sandwiches) is a delight.
Loved
The sunset over Rannoch Loch. The backdrop of the Munros above the glassy surface of the loch is breathtakingly beautiful.
Hated
There is only one drawback to the Highlands – the midges.
The verdict
A lovely, well-run, good value hotel in beautiful surrounds.
The bottom line
Stays at Dunalastair Hotel Suites (www.dunalastairhotel.com) cost from £130 (Dh635) per night, including breakfast and taxes.
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The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Company%20Profile
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Summer special
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
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HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
Stage results
1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep 4:39:05
2. Michael Matthews (AUS) Team BikeExchange 0:00:08
3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma same time
4. Jack Haig (AUS) Bahrain Victorious s.t
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe s.t
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates s.t
7. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ s.t
8. Sergio Higuita Garcia (COL) EF Education-Nippo s.t
9. Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek-Segafredo s.t
10. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers s.t
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The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The years Ramadan fell in May
What is an ETF?
An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.
There is no fund manager deciding which stocks and other assets to invest in, instead they passively track their chosen index, country, region or commodity, regardless of whether it goes up or down.
The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five largest providers BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisers, Deutsche Bank X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash.
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
