LIFE

Lynne McNeil considers days out which can offer an easy break from routine and spiritual refreshment in the days of summer.

FOR families, June heralds the end of a school year and long summer holidays.

Entertaining relatives or visitors too who might seek a summer sojourn in Scotland can require careful planning, but it need not be a costly business.

Whilst there are a range of churches with open doors in the summer offering a mix of community support, history pilgrimage and services to tourists among other things, there are many other activities for days out.

Bus and rail companies offer incentives for travel, particularly for young people, children and the elderly, making many towns and cities of interest accessible for low cost and greener days out.

Bodies such as the National Trust and Historic Environment Scotland steward many of Scotland’s historic treasures and full details of their properties and opening times (particularly over the summer) can be found online.

Parks and gardens can also be a source of beauty and natural treasures with some offering special summer events. Botanic gardens with greenhouses can be popular – particularly when the weather is inclement.

Every town and city offers a hidden treasure trove of free activities. These can often be found on local authority websites and publications but also in tourism publications, with VisitScotland a particularly helpful source of information on summer activities.

“Sometimes simply walking around an area on foot can lead to the discovery of unknown parks or green spaces or quiet riverside walks.

A few years ago, when my daughter was small, we spent a couple of days visiting some previously undiscovered free attractions in our city – and learned many new things about our local area.

Many museums and art galleries exist across Scotland and many of them are run by local councils offering free access. Although not run by the local city authority, perhaps the best known in Edinburgh are the Royal Museum and National Museums of Scotland and in Glasgow Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Burrell Collection.

Young and old alike can find something of interest to engage hearts and minds.

Sometimes simply walking around an area on foot can lead to the discovery of unknown parks or green spaces or quiet riverside walks.

Summer is a time of exploration, but for the green-fingered, it is also the busiest time of the year as crops begin to be reaped and autumn planting gets underway.

Floral borders are also updated as spring flowers are replaced by their summer cousins, adding the scents and aromas of the season. Garden centres bustle as gardeners consider the glorious colours of summer, topping up vital supplies of compost and feed and begin to gather ideas for autumn.

For those unable to travel for many reasons a short trip to a local park or garden can provide peace and a welcome retreat from daily routine.

Whatever the summer months may bring in terms of weather, there are many ways to find a moment to enjoy the gifts from God which tantalise the senses and offer spiritual refreshment.