A new season of Netflix releases is a decent reason for
celebration but it doesn't beat real life. Wave goodbye to the sofa and explore
5pm's offers on activities and experiences.
OK, as the autumn draw in, we like a cosy night in as much as the next person. But not as much as we like the idea of attending the Monaco Grand Prix; mixing magic, pizza and a cocktail at Glasgow's Blue Dog or singing along to a Greatest Showman Tribute night with dinner and fizz at Arta.
They don't tickle your fancy? How about breakfast with Santa at the Ugly Duck in Paisley? Or an archery, Segway or laser clay pigeon shooting session at Glencoe?
Hide the remote control and grab life with both hands by exploring the huge range of activities and experiences that 5pm has to offer.
Ticket for London Concertante - Vivaldi The Four Seasons by Candlelight at St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh on Friday 4th November; from £17
Electricity blackouts are not a problem for The Four Seasons by Candlelight.
What’s Included
Vivaldi – The Four Seasons by Candlelight
Plus music from Tchaikovsky & Arensky
Atmospheric St. Giles Cathedral
Acclaimed chamber music ensemble
World-renowned ensemble
Gothic cathedral, soaring orchestral sounds and an awestruck crowd? Check!
If this sounds good to you, then treat yourself to a night of spine-tingling classical music by a world-renowned ensemble, London Concertante.
Back by popular demand, The Four Seasons by Candlelight is a truly spine-tingling experience. And with this Big Deal, you can be a part of it all.
An evening to remember
This Big Deal is brought to you by London Concertante, one of the finest chamber music ensembles in the country.
You are invited to their atmospheric candlelit chamber music event taking place at St. Giles Cathedral on Friday 4th November.
The evening will feature Arensky – Variations on a theme by Tchaikovsky, Tchaikovsky – Serenade for Strings and Vivaldi – The Four Seasons.
You will have a choice of AA, A, B or C band tickets.
Critically acclaimed ensemble
With a stunning selection of recordings plus tours of the UK, Europe and the USA, London Concertante are right at the forefront of classical music in Britain.
Yet this friendly ensemble keeps things light and accessible by chatting and joking with the audience.
You can take a sneak peak of a Vivaldi’s Four Seasons being performed here.
Fantastic gift for a music fan
This Big Deal is an opportunity to lose yourself in the magic of timeless music in the spectacular candlelit setting of a Gothic cathedral.
And whether you’re a classical music buff or totally new to it all, you’ll soon be swept up into the atmosphere of this special event.
Not a fan of the Four Seasons? There is always Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata by candlelight at Paisley Abbey. Or a Viennese Christmas spectacular in Paisley or Edinburgh.
Quad Biking Session for Kids & Adults with Action Adventure Activities; from £99
The quad squad in action.
What’s Included
Quad biking experience for kids & adults
Thrilling trails and farmland
Full instruction, kit and safety briefing
Unforgettable adventure
Aimed at those with little to no experience
Based deep in Braveheart country on the edge of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Action Adventure Activities have over 30 years in the Scottish hospitality industry with a wealth of experience in numerous outdoor pursuits.
Within an hour’s drive of Glasgow and just over an hour from Edinburgh, this Big Deal is for a quad biking session for youths and adults.
Quad biking
This experience is for a heart-pumping ride across the special skills loops and farmland trails at Action Adventure Activities on Easter Hill Farm in Gartmore.
Kids sessions are for ages six to nine years, and sessions are around one hour with 30 minutes riding time.
Junior sessions are for ages 10 to 15 years, and adult sessions are for ages 16 years and over, both with one hour sessions including 40 minutes time in the saddle.
There should be at least one adult over 18 years for all options. No experience is needed, as an instructor shows you the ropes, and overalls, helmets, and gloves are included.
There are options to include one adult with one or two kids or juniors, two adults with one or two kids or juniors, or two, three or four adults.
Kids will ride a 70cc Polaris Quad, juniors will ride a 70cc Polaris Quad, 90cc Honda Quad, or 110cc Polaris Quad, and adults aged 16 years and over will ride a 90cc Honda, 110cc Polaris or 250cc Honda Quad.
Happy adventurers on TripAdvisor
‘Quad biking fun!! Fantastic quad biking experience here today. Great place, great fun, great staff. Special mention for Chris the who couldn’t have been nicer to my 10 year old son and 73 year old mum! Highly recommend this place to all ages. Thanks!’
£26 for a Guided Walking Tour of Glasgow's Music Scene for 2 from Glasgow Music City Tours
Glasgow Music City Tours: top of the hit parade with Glasgow's music fans.
What’s Included
Explore legends of Glasgow’s music scene
Merchant City or city centre tours
Five star reviews
Fantastic idea for a gift
Love Glasgow? Love music? Make like Aerosmith and walk this way. Glasgow Music City Tours have collected Glasgow’s musical myths, tall tales and wicked rumours.
Have you heard about the Barrowland star falling on David ‘The Starman’ Bowie? What about the legend of Lou Reed’s one song Apollo set?
Buckle up your blue suede walking shoes and hear the full story with this Big Deal from Glasgow Music City Tours.
Saturday tours
Valid for Saturday tours from 8th April to 30th September 2023, this Big Deal is for two people to take a scheduled two hour tour.
Choose between the Merchant City Music – Past and Present or the Music Mile tour of the city centre. Excludes the Music Mile tour on 8th July.
Irreverent and informative tours
Led by guides with years of experience in Glasgow’s music scene, the tours deliver an irreverent, informative look at the city’s iconic bands, the famous venues they played and the incendiary performances which became legends in their own show time.
With tales ranging from music hall to modern day, the tours offer something for every music fan, from folkie to punk.
Of course, guests are encouraged to share their own memories of great gigs. The best stories might just end up in the tours.
Merchant City Music – Past and Present
Walking the oldest streets of Glasgow, the Merchant City tour has stories of cherished venues such as the mighty Barrowland Ballroom and the venerable Britannia Panopticon – the world’s oldest surviving music hall.
Scheduled tours take place every Saturday from 11am.
Glasgow’s Music Mile
From the site of the late, lamented Apollo to King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut – the birthplace of Oasis – Glasgow’s Music Mile tour is a whistle-stop guide around the city centre, an area teeming with music venues past and present.
Scheduled tours take place every Saturday from 2pm.
Happy guests
Since launching in 2015, Glasgow Music City Tours have earned plenty of applause on TripAdvisor with a fantastic, combined rating of 5/5 from more than 300 reviews. These are extracts from longer reviews:
‘Wonderful tour. Guide was really brilliant, so knowledgeable and entertained us with great music stories. We laughed a lot and interacting with the others in our group was so much fun. After all the isolation of Covid it really cheered us up! Made us so proud of Glasgow which we love… Learned so much… Can’t recommend it highly enough.’ Rating 5/5
Flight Simulator Experience with Ascent Aviation; from £59
The sky is the limit with Ascent Aviation.
What’s Included
Flight simulator experience for 1 or 2
30, 60, 90 or 120 minute sessions
Choice of two aircraft, or combine both
Totally immersive adventure
No experience necessary
Children welcome
Fly a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320
Ascent Aviation in Paisley is the most immersive fixed based Boeing 737 simulator in Scotland.
This Big Deal is for a flight simulator experience – children of all ages are also welcome (under 14s must be accompanied by an adult), making this an amazing treat for a younger one, choosing from a 30, 60, 90 or 120 minute experience for one or two people, available seven days.
There are also options for combining a 60 minute Boeing 737 simulation AND either a 30 or 60 minute Airbus A320 simulation for one or two people, which can be taken back to back or split over two dates.
Your flight simulator adventure will let you take control of the world’s most popular jet airliner – the B737-800 – or the Airbus A320, with no experience necessary.
After meeting your instructor, you will step into a super-realistic, fully enclosed cockpit, take your place in the captain’s seat, then fly off from your choice of over 24,000 airports worldwide.
Sessions range from basic introductory drive courses with take offs and landings, to entering into a cold and dark cockpit, pushing back and flying a real world gate-to-gate route between two major airports.
A 220° high definition visual system with the ability to fly around famous landmarks like the Burj Khalifa and Statue of Liberty.
Ecstatic flyers
‘What a fantastic experience for my son’s 13th Birthday, David was an excellent instructor and spent so much time prior to going into the simulator and during. My son wants to be a pilot and David encouraged and gave recommendations on how to go about getting his license. Will definitely be back and would highly recommend this experience for first timers or experienced flyers.’
Warrior Sports Experience with Action Adventure Activities; from £44
Need to hone your skills for the zombie apocalypse?
What’s Included
Warrior sports experience
Axe, spear and knife throwing & crossbow shooting
Experienced instructors
Fantastic gift idea
Lock and load
Available Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, the offer is for one, two or four people to enjoy a warrior sports session with the instructors at Action Adventure Activities near Stirling.
Take a journey from medieval to modern times with weapons including the spear, Gurkha knife, throwing knife, axe and crossbow.
Depending on group size, sessions last approximately 60 to 90 minutes, and participants should be at least 16 years old, with under 18s requiring a participating adult on site.
Experienced instructors
Based deep in Braveheart country on the edge of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Action Adventure Activities have spent over 30 years in the Scottish hospitality industry and the staff have a wealth of experience in numerous outdoor pursuits.
Safety is their prime concern so, when it’s your turn to try the weapons, you know you’re in good hands with Action Adventure Activities.
Happy guests on TripAdvisor
‘Target sports was a combination of archery, shooting and axe throwing which were all really good. I found the axe throwing quite difficult but it means I could spend more time doing archery. David was a very good instructor and gave us small challenges and games to play while at target sports. Would love to go back.’
£14 for a Family Photoshoot with Set of Prints for up to 15 People at Studio Rooms, Glasgow & Edinburgh
Catch your family's best sides at Studio Rooms in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
What’s Included
Family photoshoot for up to 15 people
One-hour duration
Set of prints or digital copy
Choice of room sets
Create a lasting memory
One hour professional photoshoot
Family photos can be an awkward affair. So how about leaving it to the professionals instead? Specifically, with a one-hour family photoshoot at Studio Rooms in the Southside of Glasgow or in Loanhead, near Edinburgh.
Run by a husband and wife team, Studio Rooms will do everything to make sure you get the perfect family keepsake.
After your one-hour photo shoot, you will get to choose your favourite image in a special viewing session that will take place within seven days. You will then be given a set of prints or a digital copy of it.
Got a four-legged friend that you don’t want to leave out of the picture? Pets are welcome too, just let the studio know beforehand.
Set of prints
Fancy a bit of variety? Your shoot can include various room set changes plus up to three wardrobe swaps (if you would like to ensure you look your very best, you can even get a wardrobe consultation). Customers must bring their own costumes.
You are also welcome to bring your own props, although please let the studio know in advance.
You will receive either four 5’’ x 7’’ prints of the same image or a digital copy.
This deal is available Mondays to Fridays until the end of October, although you can also book a Saturday or Sunday shoot for a £5 supplement.
Happy customers
Previous customers at Studio Rooms have left rave reviews on Facebook, including the following, which we’ve edited for shortness:
‘Collected our pictures today from our newborn baby photoshoot… they are just wonderful. Amer was absolutely amazing with our baby despite his crying and incessant wriggling! I didn’t know that the parents would join the pictures and thus we were not prepared but despite some persuasion to keep a few shots, those pictures are really the ones to cherish. We are so happy with the final product. They are already framed for the grandparents.’