Aberdeen

Dunnottar Castle and Aberdeen

Alex came to visit us from Belgium, in Spring 2001. We went to Dunnottar Castle (Near Stonehaven) on the way up to Aberdeen on our 'Tour d'Ecosse'. Our trip included: Edinburgh, Stonehaven, Aberdeen, The Castle Trail near Speyside, The Glenlivet Distillery, Inverness, Urquhart Castle on the Lochness, Fort Augustus, Glen Coe, Stirling, Edinburgh.

The castle is almost on an island, with just a narrow path leading from the mainland to the castle. In spring, the surrounding fields and coastline are covered in sheep, grazing freely on the lush green grass. The castle entrance fee cost us £3.50. (The castle is open until around 6pm in Spring/Summer.)

There is a hall in Dunnottar Castle which was restored in 1800's. Outside the hall is a large room where the roof has long been destroyed, and flowers have grown in the ruins, making a scenic home for the birds to nest in.

The castle played a very important role in Scotland's history, particularly when the Crown Jewels of Scotland were smuggled to this Castle, when the English took up residence in Edinburgh Castle. The castle was mostly destroyed in the 1700's and is now home to large seagulls, which nest in the ruins.

The views from the castle, no matter which part of it you stand in, are spectacular. The water breaks on jagged, black rocks which surround the base of the island, and the sandy coastline is dotted with seagulls, swooping for fish.

After Dunnottar we drove to Aberdeen and found a room at the Premier Lodge. Aberdeen itself is quite ugly. Most of the buildings there are grey stone which makes every building look identical. Apparently it's called The Silver City because the grey brick shimmers a silver colour in the sun. It should be pointed out, however, that it's rarely sunny in Aberdeen -- so most of the time it looks like you've stumbled upon the end of the world.

We went out for dinner at the hotel and spent a few hours relaxing there in the restaurant. In the morning it was nice and sunny so we went to the beach for a look and we had a fantastic breakfast on the boardwalk overlooking the beach. We ate a traditional scottish breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausages and toast and a coffee.