Your trip to the land of Scots is incomplete without visiting Aberdeen

By Shreya Banda

When it comes to exploring the land of the bagpipers, majestic castles and beautiful architecture, Scotland is the place to be in. Most of the touristy places here include Glasgow, Edinburgh, Skye and of course the whiskey distilleries. Aberdeen is a destination that is often not visited by tourists but at the same time is the powerhouse of Scotland. This city is a very important contributor to the petroleum and education industry of the country. This granite city has so much to offer that it finds its place among the top 3 happiest places in the UK. Let’s explore the pristine beauty of this city together.

Aberdeen is very warm and welcoming the glistening granite buildings and the quaint little cafes are nothing but love at first sight.

1. Seaton park

Seaton Park is one of the biggest parks in the city. Even amidst the city life there is plenty of space here to play outdoors and spend time in nature. Walking through the flowers blooming in the park and watching the river flow makes Seaton Park a perfect picnic spot. Just next to Seaton Park you can go Kayaking, that is if you are visiting during summer.

2. Beach

The glistening golden sand and the seagulls will attract you towards the long-curved length of the beach. You can stroll by the shore or enjoy the water sports here. The beach is also famous for the cinema hall around it and the amusement park. One of the must try activities here would be skating on the indoor ice rink inside the amusement park.

Beach

3. River Don and River Dee

Aberdeen is situated between the Rivers Don and Dee on the Northern Sea Coast, it forms a natural port. The rivers here are popular fishing destinations and hold a good reputation for fishing some really good salmon and sea trout.

4. Stonehaven

Stonehaven is located towards the south of Aberdeen. It is a beautiful harbour town. You will find many sailing yachts here. This place has a lot of historical importance as a court house and as a jail.

The Dunnator castle is one of the most surreal sights that you can see. You can even visit the Tolbooth Museum to know about the fascinating and bloody history of this place.

If you are visiting around spring summer you can see a breath-taking view of lakhs of breeding seabirds that fill the cliff. And if you are visiting in winters, you can witness the Hogmanay Fireball Festival on New Year’s Eve, where people swing blazing balls above their heads to ward off evil spirits, and drink to their heart’s content.

Aberdeen lets you relax, rejuvenate and spend time in the nature through the day and party at night. The party scene here is filled with a mix of high end discos to open bars making the night life here quite happening.

Being the port city it also has a Maritime museum that houses a spectacular collection of fast sailing ships and gives you a low down on the port history. You can also see the busy harbour from the museum.

The universities here attract students from across the globe, even the petroleum industry employs a lot of foreign nationals at the oil rigs, giving Aberdeen a very cosmopolitan feel. From Shawarmas, fish and chips, to Food trucks serving a wide range of delicacies this city is a food lovers paradise.

Around Aberdeen there are a number of whisky distilleries where you can experience the behind the scenes process of how Scotland’s National Drink is carefully crafted.