In the east of the city, this is a pleasant walkway which follows the long beach. A great place to…read moretake a stroll, though can be quite windy and cold at certain times of the year! The North Esplanade leads to Duthie Park (with its beautiful roses, fountains and statues) and the Winter Gardens on the banks of the River Dee. Also on the Esplanade is the famous Beach Ballroom where there are many exhibitions and concerts.

Really pretty beach, if you take a walk to the end, you come across a tiny fishing-style village…read moreand the harbour, where we witnessed a few porpoise having a leisurely swim. The only down side is the less than Mediterranean weather, but then if you're going to Aberdeen for the weather, you're going to the wrong place! A day on the beach is a day well spent in Aberdeen.

I spotted the War Memorial on the hillside overlooking the water when exploring Dunnottar Castle…read more Once spotted, I decided to make time so that when I was done exploring the castle I would try and make it out and back before closing for the day, 6 p.m. After done exploring the castle and the corresponding beach beneath it, I was on the trail at 5:30 p.m. and unsure of the distance to the memorial, so I walked with occasional running spurts to the site. I marveled at the joy of running in the greenery. However, I also realized I was out of shape on this heritage travel trip I was taking through Scotland (in July 2019). It had been a while since I ran a sub-5 minute mile (2012), but my zest for speed was reawakened (my personal best now, at 30 years of age in May 2023, is 4 minutes and 41.27 seconds). While making my way to the memorial I saw various insects and birds, though none of the famous Scotland red squirrels. Pondering this, I also started thinking about if it was time for me to find a new spirit animal, perhaps a Russian hamster... they run 10 kilometers (approximately 6.2 miles) during the night. While my mind, and occasionally my body, raced towards the memorial, I did not lose sight of it and the trail led directly to the memorial site. The memorial honors local people who died in various wars in the 20th century (1900s). The entrance was straightforward to find from the trail, admission was free, and the memorial itself was open to the environment. I liked the design, which helped me spot it from afar. Scurrying back to my car I arrived about a minute or two before closing.

The Stonehaven War Memorial is extremely atmospheric all the year round. It dominates the views to…read morethe south of the town as I think is only fitting for something commemorating those who gave their lives in the service of their country. When I was in my teens and lived in Stonehaven they used to hold the town's Remembrance Service up at the memorial every November which made the impact of the service even greater as it really brought it home to you that those who had died had been a part of the town and the landscape in all its beauty. It's free to enter the Memorial. There's a steep walk which is more than rewarded by the view, but this means that it may not be a suitable destination for those of limited mobility.

Footdee is such a fun place to walk around whether you are visiting Aberdeen or are a local…read more It's a residential area, but the old fishing cottages that are still lived in have such character, and it feels like you've stepped back in time. The area feels altogether apart from Aberdeen City, but it's just at the end of the beach and easy to get to! I would definitely recommend a wander on a nice day. Makes a fun place for showing friends/family that might be visiting, too, as you can show them a piece of living Aberdeen history!

We visited Crathes Castle in May, visiting from the United States to trace our Burnett family…read morehistory. We visited the castle several times over three days, including meeting Laird Jamie Burnett, our family Chief. The castle and gardens are immaculate, and many exhibits throughout. I was so delighted to see the Horn of Leys, dating to the 1300s. A cafe and gift shop are also on site, along with wilderness trails for exploring. This was a bucket list item for our family, and we were happy to see so many other families visiting as well.

Very few NTS places are open in November, so finding Crathes still open was an unexpected treat…read more Even more unexpected was the guided tour - in the summer months you are free to wander round the house yourself, but out of season they take you round in small groups. Our guide, Drew, turned out to be a hugely entertaining character. I'm sure he must be a star in the local AmDram society. His patter, his delivery, his charm and his jokes had us all feeling right at home from the start. I can honestly say that I haven't enjoyed a guided tour as much as this in years. The house (calling it a 'castle' is a bit of an exaggeration) and part of the Leys estate was donated to the National Trust in 1951. It had been lived in by the Burnett family for 350 years prior to that, and the 13th Baronet left almost all the furniture and fittings as well, which gives the place a very homely feel - it's not a museum piece where the Trust have had to stock it with period furniture; there is a great spread of history from the medieval to post-war. The painted ceilings in several of the rooms are quite spectacular, one depicting nine heroes of medieval life, others virtues to be aspired or grisly warnings about straying form the path of righteousness, all with exquisite pictures and Gothic scripting along the beams. And of course there are ghosts. Nine of them to be precise, although our guide only told us about two. One of these, the Green Lady, is commonly seen by visitors and is thought to have been a servant girl who fell pregnant and disappeared shortly after she gave birth, along with her unfortunate child. Recent renovations discovered the bones of a small child beneath the hearth in the 'Green Lady's Room'. Another ghost that was spotted in two different locations this year is that of a small boy - our guide was keen to suggest links with the unfortunate servant girl, so maybe he will become the Green Lady's son with another couple of seasons' retelling. It wasn't the best time of year for the gardens, but the walled garden has some impressive topiary and was well worth a stroll in the November sunshine. We finished with lunch in the stable block (soup and a sandwich) and, avoiding the temptation to visit the Go Ape! centre, had a quick look round the gift shop (not that impressive) before heading off.

We only had a couple of days in Aberdeen and we really wanted to take a look at some of the…read morehistorical houses. Given our short time frame, we settled on Provost Skene's House. In my home country, the United States, we generally consider anything older than 50 years old to be old. Provost Skene's House dates from the 1500s and the various rooms are done up to show how people lived from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The house has seen several alterations since its construction. Provost George Skene bought the house in the 1600s and is thought to have commissioned the carved plaster ceilings. In the 18th century, the Duke of Cumberland commandeered the house for his troops on their march north to Culloden. After this, it was known as 'Cumberland House', a name which survived into the 20th century, when the building became a public lodging house. In the 1930s when a lot of houses in the area were demolished, an effort was made to preserve and restore the house. I think that of all the rooms in the Provost Skene House, my favorite was the costume gallery. Here you can see the various styles of dress worn by the occupants of the house throughout the centuries. Oh yes! I also loved The Cellar Café, which featured a whole lot of baked goods and Costa Coffee, a brand I really grew to like.

Huntly Castle ranked as my number one family site to visit as part of my heritage travel trip to…read moreScotland in July 2019 and it did not disappoint. The castle, now of the Gordon Clan same as my Grandma Rosemary Gordon who died in February 2023, is located inland from the Eastern coast of Scotland in the town of Huntly. I arrived at the castle a little before 4:00 p.m. on Monday 8 July 2019 and spent over an hour exploring. Parking was available in a lot past the building where I paid the entrance fee and bought a copy of the official souvenir guide to the castle. The castle is part of the Historic Scotland network of sites. Since Huntly Castle was the only site in the network on my list for my trip I opted for the just-Huntly Castle fee, a Historic Scotland pass was also available for purchase here. The entrance fee goes towards the preservation of the castle and lands. Per the informational placards on the grounds of the castle (Tower House placard specifically), the first stone castle at this site was built in the early 1500s by the Gordon Clan, of which foundations remain intact. Each of the areas of the castle came with informational placards providing background about the utility of the room in the past and how it wove into a broader Scotland context. Navigating through the premises was straightforward and the different rooms and hallways did not get clogged even when there were more visitors in a given area. The weather on my visit was clear and sunny, which made exploring the outdoor parts less cumbersome than if it had been rainy. All around thoroughly enjoyed my experience.

We visited here on a grey and a bit rainy day. Not many visitors on that day. Surprising, because…read morethis is a wonderful castle to visit. The earls of Fife built the original castle, the Peel of Strathbogie, around 1190, to guard the crossing-point where the rivers Bogie and Deveron meet. It became a stronghold in the 1300s. The stately palace, begun about 1450 by the newly ennobled Earl of Huntly, is one of Scotland's most impressive late medieval buildings. A lot of the castle is still standing today. In the back of the castle there is a lot more to explore (like the old kitchens). A lot of rooms to visit and lots of ruins to see. A very exciting place to explore and lots to learn about its history. A lot of information is provided everywhere. We did stay here a lot longer than expected. You also can climb up to a certain point. And don't miss out on the prison (and its two mannequin-prisoners that look quite life-like from a distance). Staff in the visitors centre was friendly and helpful. Some good souvenirs can be found here as well. And our Bulldog was also welcome on the grounds. Parking was right next to the castle - for visitors only of course. Since we are members, the entrance was free. A fantastic visit. Surely not to be missed and worth a (longer) drive. Highly recommended!

We visited Craigievar Castle as part of a round trip from Stonehaven to Huntly Castle, the Castle…read moreis very nice, the Tour was interesting and the Guide give some good insight about the history and the different rooms

I love the style of this wee castle. I'd love to build a tower like it to live in.read more

Some things are just better seen in person…read more This place was a real treat. For people who aren't in the best of shape like I was, just know that yes there is a lot of steps. But if you are fan of things Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Elden Ring, Dark Souls, etc. just know the hike is worth it. I'm more of an Elden Ring fan myself more than anything so the fact that we were here when we had overcast weather definitely added to the experience. There's descriptions in particular rooms that tell you what the room was originally used for. So it's nice reading those and taking a minute to close your eyes after taking a picture of the room and just imagining the hustle and bustle happening in these walls. There is a parking lot to park but it does look somewhat limited. We got here right when it opened to avoid any issues with that so just keep that in mind. If you need a snack beforehand there is also a food truck right before you make the small trek to the stairs. You can't however eat once inside I believe. But man, I had the biggest grin when I was munching on my fries and slowly hiking up to this castle. Dunnottar Castle for any trip imo.

My mom and I went on a trip to Scotland and Ireland last month and this was our favorite castle…read morethat we saw. (And of course, it was also one of the first ones that we saw, lol.) It is just so beautiful. The ruins are still intact, they didn't rebuild to make it look like it was back in the day. They give you a map that is extremely helpful and there are information plaques everywhere. The walk to the castle is so great too, with the ocean all around you; but it can be a bit steep at times. All in all, this was a picturesque castle that you NEED to see when you go to Scotland.