ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND - TRAVEL GUIDE
Aberdeen is one of the cities that was least recommended to me for visiting. Some of my friends even suggested that I should cancel my already planned trip there, because I have nothing to see, the city being industrial and not very friendly to tourists. So, I set out on the road with little expectations. I can't say it's the most beautiful city, but if you're in the area, it's worth setting aside at least one day to explore it.
The mini-getaway in this part of Scotland lasted three days. I allocated only one day for Aberdeen, reserving the rest for the castles near the city, which are also my motivation to visit this area. I will write a separate article about the castles visited.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ABERDEEN:
The city of Aberdeen, also called "Silver City", was founded between the mouths of the rivers Don and Dee on the shore of the North Sea and is the largest fishing port in Scotland and in the first 8 cities in Great Britain from an economic point of view, due to oil exploitation in the North Sea.
The city began as two separate burghs: Old Aberdeen at the mouth of the River Don; and New Aberdeen, a fishing and trading settlement on the Dee estuary. The name of the city translates as the mouth of the river Don, and appears in writings as Aberdon in 1172 and Aberden in 1180.
During the Scottish Wars of Independence, the town was burned by Edward III of England in 1336, but was rebuilt and expanded.
Another interesting thing is that the medieval council registers of Aberdeen survive from 1398 and are exceptional for their quantity and continuity. The oldest eight volumes, from 1398 to 1511, have been included in the UK UNESCO Memory of the World Register and have been edited in a digital edition.
HOW TO GET TO ABERDEEN:
The city has its own airport, with flights operated to 100 destinations. Another airport at few hours away is Edinburgh. From there there are direct routes with public transport, either bus or train.
My recommendation is to rent a car. Most of the beautiful places worth visiting in Scotland are not easily accessible by public transport, and a car would make your vacation easier. Click to a guide about renting a car.
ACCOMMODATION AND RESTAURANTS IN ABERDEEN:
For dining, Thai, Chinese and Indian restaurants are in great demand in Aberdeen. On Trip Advisor, the best rated dining location is the Revolution Restaurant. If you are looking for unique places, as they are rarely found in this world, Soul Bar Aberdeen is one of those locations that you should not miss. It is a very old church that has been transformed into a restaurant.
For accommodation, the locations with the best ratings on Booking are:
The Marcliffe Hotel and Spa - accommodation unit rated at 5 stars, with double, twin or suite rooms. It has a restaurant, bar, gym and parking;
Residence Inn by Marriott Aberdeen - accommodation unit rated at 4 stars, with studio rooms. It has a 24-hour reception and a gym;
Lochnagar Guest House - accommodation unit with double, twin or triple rooms. Parking and internet are included in the reservation price;
PLACES TO VISIT IN ABERDEEN:
St. Machar's Cathedral, commonly called Old Machar, is located north of the city center in the former burgh of Old Aberdeen. St Machar's is technically no longer a cathedral, but rather a tall building, as it has not been the seat of a bishop since 1690.
According to legend, Saint Machar founded a place of worship in Old Aberdeen in about 580. Machar's church was replaced by a Norman cathedral in 1131, shortly after David I transferred the seat of Mortlach to Aberdeen.
The cathedral is an example of a fortified building with twin towers, believed to have been inspired by the central tower of St John's Kirk in Perth, built in the fashion of 14th-century tower houses. Their walls have the strength to support spiral staircases to the upper floors and battlements. The walls that now crown the towers were added in the 15th century. Bishops Gavin Dunbar and Alexander Galloway built the west towers and installed the heraldic ceiling.
The beaches of Aberdeen can also be on the list to visit. Although the weather is not for sunbathing at the beach, not even in summer, it is definitely worth taking a walk on the seafront, or relaxing while admiring the waves. In this area, the tide is very noticeable, and if you have a few hours at your disposal, you can make a comparison of the sea level during the flow, versus that during the ebb. From the city center to the beach is about 15 minutes on foot.
The University and King's College of Aberdeen is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and now an integral part of the University of Aberdeen. Its historic buildings are the centerpiece of the Old Aberdeen campus
The focal point of the college, as well as its oldest building, is the late 15th-century King's College Chapel.
The city center is very interesting and you cannot miss a walk there. The architecture of the buildings transforms a simple, industrial city into a city that can offer little satisfaction to the explorer's eyes of the tourists who venture to this place. I associated the architecture of these buildings with the one I used to see in vampire movies. It is not surprising that Bram Stocker took his inspiration to write "Dracula" from these places as well. Do not confuse the city center with the old center, which is also called Old Aberdeen and is in a separate area of the city.
In the downtown area, the council tried to give a little color to the silvery city, painting the steps in highly pigmented colors. The area where they are located was very monotonous, but the new color of the steps brightens up the landscape a bit.
Brig o'Balgownie is a 13th century bridge spanning the River Don. Construction of the bridge was begun in the late 13th century by Richard Cementarius, although it was not completed until 1320, at the time of the Scottish War of Independence. After falling into disrepair in the mid-16th century, it was completely renovated in 1605. The bridge is built of granite and sandstone. Its unique Gothic arch spans over 12 meters.
The Tolbooth Museum is a former 17th-century prison that now functions as a museum. Aberdeen City Council took over the former prison and opened it to the public in 1995. The museum contains exhibits of prison cells and various items relating to policing and law and order.
Duthie Park and the David Welch Winter Gardens
Duthie Park opened in 1883, having been gifted to the city by Miss Elizabeth Crombie Duthie in 1880 for "the welfare and recreation of the inhabitants of Aberdeen". The 'Winter Gardens' are one of the most visited public indoor plant collections in Scotland and provide an oasis away from the typical North East weather! They offer a unique venue for weddings and host an annual carol concert every December.
Aberdeen Maritime Museum was built in 1593 by master mason Andrew Jamieson and extended southwards in 1710. The collections cover shipbuilding, fast sailing ships, fishing and port history and exhibitions on the North Sea oil industry The museum tells the story of the relationship of the city with the North Sea.
Torry Battery is a fantastic spot, with panoramic views of the harbor mouth and North Sea, you can also enjoy spectacular sightings of marine wildlife such as seabirds, seals, otters and whales.
If you arrive in Torry when is high tide, you have the opportunity to see the dolphins that can come quite close to the shore. They can be observed, especially near fishing vessels, throughout the year. It can help to have binoculars, and for photos a DSLR type device with a lens over 100 mm. The photo below was taken with a 200mm lens. As a landmark for the place from where you can admire them, look for the lighthouse in the photo above, and the dolphins come both on the right side, but mainly on the left side. We had the opportunity to have great weather and many people were already gathered there, so it was easier for us to find the perfect spot. As a recommendation, avoid sitting directly on the grass, it is FULL of ticks.
Other places to visit in Aberdeen area would be:
CONCLUSION ABOUT ABERDEEN:
In conclusion, I confess that I was pleasantly surprised by the city, I had a relaxing weekend, full of lovely moments. Both the city and the area in which it is located can be places that will enchant you. As I like to say, in any place there is something beautiful, you just have to look at it in such a way that you can see that beauty. I recommend visiting this area in the summer, do not venture in the winter, not even in the fall, the weather is not the most pleasant, and the wind is extremely strong. If we also take into account the possible rain and the only 3-4 hours of light, they can considerably reduce the time you spend outside, and implicitly the time you have to enjoy what this area of Scotland.
If you plan to visit Edinburgh, the wonderful capital of Scotland and one of the most beautiful cities I have visited, I leave a small travel guide.
Read also about other locations in the United Kingdom: the Royal Navy Museum in Hartlepool, 3 locations to visit in Wales, Bibury, Stonehenge, Holy Island, or Inverness.
If you liked this article, you can share it.
To be up to date with latest posts, I invite you to subscribe to the newsletter, only your email address is required.
For more travel destinations and photos, you can follow me on Instagram.
Thanks for reading!
The photos and text are protected by copyright law.
This article contains affiliate links!
The author of this article is not responsible for the reader's choices, regardless of the negative or positive consequences of the actions taken by him after reading any page on this website!
Commentaires