Aberdeen - Scotland's Granite City Has A Soft Heart

Aberdeen gives us a wealth of wonderful scenery from an ancient waterfront on the eastern side to the magnificent Grampian Mountains in the west. With so much to see, it's a good idea to rent a car from Aberdeen Airport. Being the 3rd biggest city in Scotland, expect the city to have a diversity of attractions from the arts to old relics and countless opportunities for shopping. The region of Aberdeen and the Grampians is the home of that mad drawer of crowds and whisky lovers, the Malt Whisky Trail. Once you have recovered from tasting the world famous whiskies of eight distilleries, then it's time to follow the Castle Trail amidst the breathtaking views of this majestic region. You will find a huge range of activities including golf, fishing, skiing, whisky tasting and lots more on offer here in The Grampian Highlands.

Don't be surprised to find some form of celebration or festival to be going on during your trip to Aberdeen. Tourists and locals regularly meet to celebrate the area's history with traditional entertainment and events such as the Lonach Highland Gathering and Games. Locally known as the “Friendly Games” the event are held annually on the 4th Saturday of 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 few remnants of an east coast fire festival traditionally held to welcome in the New Year.You will find a superb selection of comfortable Aberdeen hotels

The new part of Aberdeen known as the "Granite City" offers wonderful granite buildings and any number of fine restaurants, the best shops and a very lively ‘what’s on’ listing whenever you arrive. Coincidentally, if the city has so much to offer, why are its own people considered internationally well travelled? Why would anyone want to ever leave this wonderful place? They say that you never to appreciate what is beneath your nose but the truth is that Aberdonians can look more forward to returning 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), picturesque streets, warm friendly people, fishing villages worthy of a place on a postcard and Union Street where you find a vast array of shops, as well as three shopping precincts!

Aberdeen is famous as the "City of Roses" with very good reason. A popular attraction and landmark in this area is that of Duthie Park's Rose Hill with in excess of 12,000 different brilliant varieties and assortments of Rose.

The Old Town district of Aberdeen has a historic air about it. The area known as Old Aberdeen is a preserved site, which was once an individual burgh. Here you can find the cobbled high street with Provost Ross's House, the Aberdeen Art Gallery, the harbour and many other places of interest within a few hundred yards of one another. Don't miss a chance to visit Aberdeen University’s ancient King's College with its 15th century chapel and fixtures.

While in Aberdeen many visitors explore 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 area. Visitors can pay their respects at the Piper Alpha Memorial, a rose garden situated in Hazelhead Park dedicated to the loss of 167 North Sea oil workers lost in the 1988 tragedy. For further information about oil exploration in the North Sea, the 5 Star Maritime Museum situated on the Shiprow, offers 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 appears very compact. This is deceiving.  In actual fact, there is a huge expanse of territory to explore with plenty of attractions awaiting you at every corner and much will be missed if limited to public transport. Cycling out in the Aberdonian countryside 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 rental car has many attractions. For those outdoor types hiking is a great way to explore beautiful landscapes “off the beaten track”.


The Grampian Highlands

Walking is probably the premier activity of the Grampians with so much to explore and virgin landscapes only ever experienced on foot. Hikers will enjoy a wide range of challenges from the exposed coastline to the high altitudes of the Grampian and Cairngorm mountain ranges. If an active outdoor pursuits holiday is called for this Grampians area of Scotland will not let you down! The offerings are wide and varied from water-sports to gliding and cycling to horse riding. Another exciting possibility is off-road driving as well as walking Scotland's official Long Distance footpaths.

Make your way to Balmoral and instantly discover why Queen Victoria memorably called this amazing location her "Paradise". Built as a royal holiday destination, it is currently 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.

Over at the coast there are some excellent facilities for water sports. A popular event is that of the annual yacht race to Stavanger and back. The marina at Peterhead is extremely popular with visiting yachtsmen whilst yachting enthusiasts make for Findhorn at Moray Firth.