Wandering North - Aberdeen and Stonehaven

Having left the peacefulness of the coast of Fife (more of which you can read about here), next up on our weekend adventure was the granite city itself, Aberdeen, and the stunning beauty of Stonehaven.

Arriving around 5 o’clock on a Saturday night, our only plans for the night consisted of much needed downtime at the hotel.  And we couldn’t have picked better for this than our hotel, The Village Aberdeen.  Choosing to go for a Club Room (a snippet at £70 p/n) we were treated to a massive bed with really cute slogan cushions, tea/coffee making machine, flat screen TV with sky sports/movie channels (think Tony was a big fan of this since he got to watch the boxing!) and beautiful stationery and magazines.  The bathroom was also a decent size and included a bathtub with a rainfall shower and ESPA products.  And I LOVE ESPA products so this was a lovely touch.  I should also note that the bed felt like we were literally sleeping on a cloud.  Perfect after a busy day exploring.

First on our agenda for our downtime here was checking out the leisure facilities.  With a good sized pool, comfy pool loungers with magazines/towels, steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi…we were spoilt for choice.  Also many thanks to the lifeguard for not laughing at me during my swimming lessons!  I’ve never been a good swimmer (at all) and haven’t even been in a pool for about 11 years so thanks to Tony for making me test the waters in the pool and helping me to eventually swim in it (sorry babe, I know you were probably traumatised).

Feeling refreshed and recharged we headed back to our room to spend the night eating room service and making use of those movie and sports channels.  ABSOLUTE BLISS I tell you.  Whilst Tony tucked into mussels and fries with a side of jalapeno mac n cheese, I opted for the chickpea, spinach and sweet potato curry with a side of mash.  And basically proceeded to scoff the whole thing. It was delish.

The next morning we headed over to the Christmas Markets at Union Square tucking into Nutella and strawberry crepes, buying £10 worth of olives and feta cheese (yes £10!) and browsing a great selection of stalls including homemade fudge, bath items, jewellery, candles…there’s pretty much something for everyone here.

After brekkie at the markets we continued onwards to Stonehaven and the magnificent Dunnottar Castle.  Sitting on a rocky clifftop, Dunnottar is a ruined fortress built around 1200.  And as of the moment I walked down the path towards it, it is truly the best castle I’ve ever had the pleasure of exploring.  Views-a-plenty, history galore, lots of peeking through wee holes…it truly is a marvel as the pictures below will attest to.

After you’ve enjoyed all the castle has to offer, make sure you head down the little path towards the beach area.  And if you’re brave (or silly like me) dip your toes in the North Sea…it really is as bliming cold as you think but hey, great experience!

Our final stop at Stonehaven, and indeed the trip itself, was the infamous Bay Fish & Chips. While Tony opted for the fish & chips (great fish and delicious light batter apparently) I went for an old favourite of mine, chips n cheese. I loved the almost crumbly texture and strong cheddar taste to the cheese.  We enjoyed our food sitting in the car taking in the beautiful views of the harbour, and somehow managed to avoid the crazy seagulls outside – seriously it was like a scene out a Hitchcock movie.

So if history, food, views and relaxing are your thing, get yourself up North at the next available opportunity!

Leanne x