When you get ready to travel to the UK, many times you don't want to stay alone in London. The idea is to take advantage and travel. The pound is more expensive than the euro so in one trip you can kill several birds with one stone.
When you see the map, your gaze will at some point land on Scotland. Edimurgo is the most classic destination but if you raise your eyes, towards the cold north, you will distinguish Aberdeen. It is the third most populous city in the country and is known as the Granite City. Find out why.
Aberdeen, destination in Scotland
If you like Scottish history or have been blown away with BraveheartFor example, you cannot miss Aberdeen. During the Wars for Scottish Independence it was under English control and it was the famous Robert de Bruce who appears in the film half as a traitor of Wallace who carries out an important siege, to destroy it completely in 1308, kill all the English and return it to the Scots.
Aberdeen has not had what is said a quiet life, between sites, battles and terrifying plagues that decimated its population, bankruptcies and reconstructions. Today she presents herself as a survivor. It is nestled between two river mouths, the Don and the Dee, and over several rolling hills. How is your weather? Well, just look at the map to know that their winters are harsh, with very few hours of sun.
Be careful to go in December because that month has broken records of frost with -16ºC in 2010. ¿Summer is the best option? Of course, temperatures exceed 20ºC and in a hot summer they can reach 30ºC. Not bad for remote Aberdeen.
How to get to Aberdeen
Aberdeen is very well connected to the world: has its own international airport, railway station, ferry terminal and bus station. By car you are in just two and a half hours from Edinburgh or Glasgow.
From London you can take a rail service from Virgin East Coast that departs from King Cross Station and takes about seven and a quarter hours. Trains leave every four hours. There is a fast service but you must make a connection in Edinburgh (Edinburgh Haymarket Station). Last year the rates for this service were around 80 pounds.
From London another option is the Caledonian Sleeper which departs from London Euston at 9:15 pm and arrives in Aberdeen around 7:30 am. It's not bad at all and for a cabin with a shared bunk you pay around £ 100. You must bear in mind that the most convenient rates are always found when you book and pay in advance. Tickets that are roundtrip are also usually cheaper so keep that in mind.
There are also offers for First Class so look for them because after all the trip is not short, take whatever train you take.
Regarding the routes By bus from London the journey takes about 12 to 13 hours. Buses depart from Victoria Coach Station twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. You have a bus at 8 am, for example, and a night service at 10:30 pm. In this case the trip takes about two hours less, more or less. Last year the rates started at 20 pounds. Obviously, you can buy tickets online on the National Express Coaches website.
If you like to drive you can rent a car and make the trip on your own. There are several motorways linking London to Aberdeen or Edinburgh to Aberdeen. But what if you are already in Scotland? From Glasgow and Edinburgh you can get there by trainAlso from Newcastle and from York. Look for the services of scotrail.
As I said above, Aberdeen has a ferry terminal located at Jamiesen's Quay directly opposite the train station. Ferries departing and arriving from the terminal to the Scottish Isles, Shetland and Orkney.
What to see in Aberdeen
You have to say first that Aberdeenshire, the county, is known to be the Scottish Castle County And that's because this part concentrates the largest amount of medieval castles per acre in the whole of the UK. So, to select well which ones you do not want to miss! You can sign up for Sctoland's only dedicated Trail comprising 18 castles, including Balmoral Castle, Crathes Castle, Drum Castle, Dunnator Castle or Huntly.
El Balmoral Castle It is the Royal Residence when Queen Elizabeth II is on a walk or vacation in Scotland. It dates from the late 2017th century and was acquired by the Crown under the reign of Victoria. This 1 the gardens, the cafeteria, the exhibition rooms and the store will also be open on holidays between April 31 and July 10, between 5 am and XNUMX pm.
Admission is £ 11 and includes parking, access to gardens and orchards, the exhibition area in the stables and the castle's Banquet Hall. It also includes an audio guide. It's just over an hour from Aberdeen and can be reached by taxi or bus. Or on tour, of course.
Beyond the Balmoral, what other castles are recommended? The Castle Crathes is a tower house very classic, surrounded by beautiful gardens. Inside are antique furniture, family portrait holders and lots of history. It opens from 10:30 am to 5pm and admission costs £ 12. The Drum Castle It is seven centuries old and the tower and forests were given to the family of Robert de Bruce in 1323.
Today it has Jacobite and Victorian sectors, later, and a beautiful Historical Garden of Roses cultivated between the seventeenth and twentieth centuries. It opens its doors at 11am and costs £ 12.
As I said there are many castles so you just have to choose which ones you want to visit and take the tour. Sometimes it is best to sign up for a tour or several, so as not to miss the most important ones. On the other hand, Scotland is known for whiskey. The quality of the local water, the barley crops and the air make the quality of this spirit superb. To discover Scotch whiskey you can do the The Secret Malts of Aberdeenshire.
The walk takes you past several distilleries dating back to the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, located in various picturesque villages such as GlenDronach, Ardmore or Fettercairn. These tours range from the basics to the specialized, the best when you're a whiskey addict. Most Scottish distilleries keep the old distillation techniques and let you see the process so that's great. Among the most famous distilleries are those of Glenfiddich, Chivas Regal, McCallan and The Glenlivet.
Finally, but no less beautiful is the urban layout of Aberdeen: has two historic centers, Old aberdeen with its cobbled streets and fortified XNUMXth century cathedral, and the footdee, a fishing district located right on the coast with small houses, flower gardens and colorful houses. You can walk down the main street, the Union Street, avenue that is lined with buildings built in gray granite (hence the name of Granite City), to walk on the beach or do paddle board if the weather is good.
All the golden sand beaches stretch for miles, there are even many dunes, always to the north, while to the south are located the soaring and wonderful Cliffs. Finally, the photo with the William Wallace statue can not be missing from your scrapbook. You find it at the junction of the Rosemount Viaduct and Union Terrace. There is also another by Robert Burns, a renowned Scottish writer, and another by Robert de Bruce on Broad Street.