"Scalper" ticket source for Stirling Castle Christmas events?
November 30, 2013 2:31 PM   Subscribe

My mother and I have planned a somewhat last-minute trip to Scotland and we just discovered the Carols at the Castle event at Stirling Castle on the 15th. It is, of course, wildly popular and already sold out. Where might an enterprising couple of ladies manage to find tickets from those who have purchased them but no longer want/can use them? In the US I'd look on Craigslist for something like this, but that doesn't seem to be a popular option here in the UK. Gumtree hasn't given me anything either. Any way for us to track them down, or is it a sadly lost cause?
posted by olinerd to Grab Bag (11 answers total)
 
If you'll be staying in the area, can you contact your hotel and ask if they have tickets or know if it's possible to get 2? Seems like something a Concierge could do if no one else could...
posted by cecic at 3:15 PM on November 30, 2013


Response by poster: We're doing the B&B thing -- less chance of concierge help there, I think.
posted by olinerd at 3:16 PM on November 30, 2013


Best answer: You are probably planning to do this anyway, but continue to check Gumtree. That's certainly the first website I would use for this kind of thing, and you may strike lucky with a daily search.
posted by cincinnatus c at 3:22 PM on November 30, 2013


Try StubHub UK. The American StubHub is where I look for tickets for sold out events, but they are always marked way up.
posted by AppleTurnover at 3:27 PM on November 30, 2013


Best answer: I'm afraid you're probably out of luck but if there are any tickets to be had they'll likely be put on Gumtree so seconding the advice to check back daily.

Not quite the same as Stirling Castle but there are carol events at Glasgow Cathedral, The Museum of Scotland or St Giles' Cathedral (last two are both in Edinburgh).
posted by neilb449 at 3:35 PM on November 30, 2013


Best answer: nthing gumtree, and I would also suggest calling Stirling Castle directly on the number in the link you provided (especially if you are coming from abroad). There may be returns.

Failing that, I would not hesitate to endorse Glasgow Cathedral as a tremendous venue for a similar event, and it's easily reachable by train from Stirling (~30-40min).
posted by Jakey at 4:32 PM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


As others have said, Glasgow Cathedral would be an excellent alternative, and if you do end up there, make sure to have time to visit the adjacent Necropolis, a wonderful cemetery containing many significant graves and offering terrific views of the city and beyond.
posted by cincinnatus c at 4:49 PM on November 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


Gumtree is your best bet but also keep an eye on eBay. You should definitely contact your B&B owners with a kindly worded request to notify you if they hear or see of any on offer, a little local knowledge goes a long way. I'd also suggest an email to the letters page of the local newspapers (Stirling News, Stirling Observer) to this effect or even take out a cheap ad in their classifieds. There are a number of local Facebook communities you can tap into, the trick is to ask and get the word out. And be sure to put your name down for returns with the official booking office. If all else fails you might be able to procure something on arrival, check the local papers again and shop windows for notices in town. Good luck!
posted by Caskeum at 2:25 AM on December 1, 2013


I've had some luck with http://scarletmist.com/, which I like the peer-to-peer aspect of, things get listed all the time so you have to check back frequently or set up an alert.

And on Seatwave, though tickets are usually at a huge premium there, so it depends how desperately you want to go. Good luck!
posted by symphonicknot at 2:51 AM on December 1, 2013


Response by poster: Thanks guys, we've contacted the event organizers directly to find out about any returns or cancellations and I'm scouring Gumtree a couple of times a day. Thanks for the other recommendations -- glad there's no shortage of Christmas events in neat venues!
posted by olinerd at 4:06 PM on December 1, 2013


Response by poster: Update: we are now the proud owners of two tickets after the waiting list for cancellations came through for us. Cheers guys!
posted by olinerd at 3:41 PM on December 4, 2013 [1 favorite]


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