While Aberdeen has two whisky distilleries close to the city, Glen Garioch and Fettercairn, the most famous nearby distilleries are in Speyside, about 50 miles away.
Speyside is famous for its whisky and is often called ‘Malt Whisky Country‘. It’s home to more than half of Scotland’s malt whisky distilleries, and produces some of the best-selling whiskies in the world, including Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Macallan and Strathisla. The area is one of Scotland’s five whisky regions and produces a distinctive spirit which is usually lighter and sweeter than single malts from other regions, such as the Islay, Campbeltown and the Western Isles whiskies. They are noted in general for their elegance and complexity, sometimes with a refined smokiness but more often for their fruity or floral notes.
Speyside has a Malt Whisky Trail which allows people to visit the different distilleries in the region and experience the way in which whisky is made and casked.
Drum Castle lies 11 miles to the west of Aberdeen along Royal Deeside. The original castle was granted to William de Irwyn by King Robert the Bruce in 1323. The castle remained within the Irvine family until 1975, when it was handed over to the National Trust of Scotland. Irvine memorabilia can be seen in the Family Room and the house contains a collection of portraits and Georgian furniture.
The castle is surrounded by hills and woodland with nature trails and guided walks.
The snug bar at the front of this popular city-centre pub is the oldest in Aberdeen, dating back 300 years, and the warren of adjoining rooms makes it one of the most cosy and atmospheric. Full of nooks and crannies – not to mention the rooftop beer garden, it appeals to a mixed crowd, from mothers with pushchairs to live music fans, parties, real-ale drinkers and football supporters. Named after Amelia ‘Ma’ Cameron who took over the business in 1937. Before this, it was the Sow Croft Coaching Inn.
Doric is the Scots dialect spoken in the North-East of Scotland and, as of 2018, has gained the status of the third official language of Scotland, along with English and Scots Gaelic. While you will easily get by with standard English, knowing of a few phrases of the language will be useful if you need to converse, e.g. with the mannie an wifies, an loons an quines a Fittee, i.e. the men and women, and boys and girls of Footdee (an area down by Aberdeen Harbour).
A common characteristic of Doric is changing the sound of “wh” to “f”. So “what” becomes “fit”, “when” becomes “fan” and “who” becomes “fa”.
You can download a copy of the Doric Dictionary which contains a list of some of useful words in Doric with the English translations
Although Doric is no longer as prevalent as it was, it is still a live spoken language. A transcript of a conversation can be found here.
The following article is an excellent guide to the the sights and tourist experiences of Aberdeen, and is useful for first time visitors (and returners). The Scotland Traveloholic website, which has many great articles, can be found here.
“Scotland is undoubtedly a country full of beautiful cities, interesting architecture, stunning nature and fantastic people. Each of Scotland’s cities has something beautiful, and I believe that it’s worth writing about them and getting the wider public familiar with these wonderful places. After my recent visit to Aberdeen, I decided to finally make a comprehensive guide to Aberdeen to inspire others to discover it’s unique beauty and charm.”
Please read more of this useful and informative guide to visiting Aberdeen by clicking on this link
Founder of Scotland Traveloholic, travel photographer and videographer. A head full of dreams and ideas ? Part of spreadit.studio – Travel Content Marketing & Digital Strategy Agency In Scotland.
