Aberdeen – Scotland’s Granite City Has A Soft Heart
Aberdeen gives us an explosion of stunning scenery from an unspoilt waterfront on its eastern coast to the magnificent Grampian Mountains in the west. With so so many sights to take in, it’s pretty much essential to rent a car from Aberdeen Airport. Being the 3rd largest city in Scotland, expect Aberdeen to have a wide selection of attractions from the arts to old historical sites and endless shopping possibilities. The region of Aberdeen and the Grampians is responsible for that magnet for discerning drinkers everywhere, the Malt Whisky Trail. If and when you have recovered from tasting the oustanding malts of eight distilleries, then it’s time to follow the Castle Trail amidst the breathtaking views of this amazing region. You will find a whole host of activities including golf, fishing, skiing, whisky tasting and much more on offer here in this picturesque region of Scotland.
Expect some form of festival or celebration to be going on while in Aberdeen. Visitors and residents regularly meet to celebrate the area’s history with traditional entertainment and events like the Lonach Highland Gathering and Games. Otherwise known as the “Friendly Games” they are held each year on the 4th Saturday in August at Strathdon in Aberdeenshire. Other events to check out when visiting Aberdeen include, the Aberdeen Jazz Festival (March), the Braemar Telemark Festival (March), the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival (April-May), the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival (June), Tartan Day, The Wickerman and the Stonehaven Fireball Festival. The Stonehaven festival is one of last remnants of an east coast fire festival traditionally held to welcome in the New Year.You will find a great selection of cheap Aberdeen hotels
The new town of “Granite City” Aberdeen offers wonderful granite buildings and a wonderful range of superb restaurants, a superb range of top shops and a very lively social calendar whenever you arrive. In fact, if the city has such a wealth of riches, why are its own people recognised as internationally well travelled? Why would they ever want to leave this wonderful city? They say you never seem to appreciate what is beneath your nose but the truth is that Aberdonians are able to look more forward to coming home more than the rest of us. Who would blame them? Everything is here! A generally cool and dry climate, sandy beaches, the Lemon Tree (Aberdeen’s own year round Festival Fringe), pretty streets, warm friendly people, fishing villages worthy of a place on a postcard and Union Street where you find a plethora of shops, as well as three shopping precincts!
Aberdeen is famously nicknamed the “City of Roses” with good reason. A popular landmark and attraction in this area is that of Duthie Park’s Rose Hill with over 12,000 different captivating varieties and types of Rose.
Aberdeen’s old town district has a nostalgic air about it. The area known as Old Aberdeen is a preserved site, which was once an individual burgh. Here you will encounter its cobbled high street with Aberdeen Art Gallery, Provost Ross’s House, the harbour and many other attractions within a few hundred yards of one another. Don’t miss an opportunity to visit Aberdeen University’s ancient King’s College with its 15th century chapel and fixtures.
While visiting Aberdeen a lot of visitors are interested in the relationship between the city and North Sea. For a number of years North Sea oil reserves have played a huge part in the growth and prosperity as well as devastating losses of life in the region. Visitors can see the Piper Alpha Memorial, a rose garden found in Hazelhead Park dedicated to the loss of 167 North Sea oil workers lost in the 1988 tragedy. If you would like to find out more about oil exploration in the North Sea, the 5 Star Maritime Museum situated on the Shiprow, provides exhibitions on the fascinating subject well as an in depth insight to earlier (but equally as dangerous) forms of fishing and shipping in the region.
On the map, the region of Aberdeen and the Grampians seems to be very compact. This is far from the truth. In actual fact, there is a vast acreage of ground to cover with plenty of attractions at every corner and much will be missed if limited to public transport. Cycling out in the countryside around Aberdeen is amazing and highly recommended for all able-bodied souls. For the rest of us, swapping two wheels for four and exploring the glorious surrounding from behind the wheel of an Aberdeen Airport hire car has many attractions. For those outdoor types hiking is a highly enjoyable way to explore beautiful landscapes “off the beaten track”.
The Grampian Highlands
Hiking is probably the leading activity of the Grampians with so much to explore and virgin landscapes which can only be found when travelling on foot. Hikers can experience a wide range of challenges from the exposed coastline to the high altitudes of the Grampian and Cairngorm mountain ranges. If you are looking for an active pursuits holiday the Grampians area of Scotland will be the perfect solution! The offerings are wide and varied from gliding to water sports and horse riding to cycling. Another exciting possibility is off-road driving as well as exploring Scotland’s official Long Distance footpaths.
Head to Balmoral and you will immediately realise why Queen Victoria fondly nicknamed this amazing location her “Paradise”. Designed as a holiday destination for the British Royal Family, the area is today enjoyed by many (non-royal) guests for its world famous sporting activities such as salmon and trout fishing in the River Dee and road races across the Royal estate.
Across at the coast there are a number of superb facilities for water sports. A notable event is that of the annual yacht race to Stavanger and back. Peterhead’s marina is very popular with visiting yachtsmen whilst sailing enthusiasts head to Findhorn on the Moray Firth.
