If you are going to be here on the Saturday or Sunday prior to the conference (and are not involved in a Working Group or the Doctoral Consortium), you may want to wander around the City for an hour or two. Here are three different walks which take you around different parts of Aberdeen.
“Braemar is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around 58 miles (93 km) west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. It is the closest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee sitting at an altitude of 339 metres (1,112 ft).
Wikipedia Page
The Gaelic Bràigh Mhàrr properly refers to the area of upper Marr (as it literally means), i.e. the area of Marr to the west of Aboyne, the village itself being Castleton of Braemar (Baile a’ Chaisteil).”
“Braemar is situated in the heart of the outstanding landscape of the Cairngorms National Park in the highest and most mountainous parish in the UK.
Surrounded by mountains, heather moorland, pine and birchwood, it spans the rocky gorge of the Clunie water. For generations, the scenery and pure mountain air have attracted visitors. They come to enjoy walking, climbing, wildlife watching, cycling, canoeing, fishing, stalking, golf and skiing. Within close proximity to over a quarter of Scotland’s Munro’s, the area has been the inspiration for countless writers, artists and photographers and many visitors return again and again.
A cohesive and supportive community of around 450 inhabitants, the village is known around the world for the annual Braemar Gathering. The event attracts around 15,000 people on the first Saturday in September each year and has the patronage of Her Majesty the Queen.
Braemar is situated on the tourist route from Perth to Aberdeen, which climbs over the Cairnwell Pass, the highest through road in the country and follows the River Dee along its picturesque valley. Surrounded by unspoilt and unpopulated countryside, it is however within an hour and a half’s drive of three major cities, Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen
Almost all Braemar is now a conservation area. The village is compact with a mix of grand Victorian houses, modest cottages, narrow roads and lanes and retains a unique character.”
BraemarScotland
3rd July 2019
Read John Wood’s accompanying History of the City of Aberdeen on the Internet Archive website.
Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland
Donmouth Local Nature Reserve is a beach site in the historic Old Aberdeen part of the City, where the River Don meets the sea.
VistAberdeenshire
A great place to see seals and a range of interesting birds. The beach area has changed over time as the river has changed its course. There are lots of interesting plants in the dunes and beach area. The Bird hide is an excellent shelter from which to watch the wildlife.
The paths run across King Street to the Brig o’ Balgownie, the original bridge in to the City from the North, then down the other side of the river to the sea.
The site was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1992.
Paths are good, although wheelchair access to the beach would be difficult as the boardwalk can get covered with sand.
“The Deeside Way is a 41 mile path running from Aberdeen to Ballater. The route follows the line of the Old Royal Deeside Railway.
The path is suitable for walkers and cyclists throughout the duration of the route. Many sections of the route are also suitable for horses.
The rewarding journey is frequently broken down into 4 sections Aberdeen to Drumoak, Drumoak to Banchory, Banchory to Aboyne and Aboyne to Ballater.
Aberdeen to Drumoak: 10.6 miles / 17 km.
Beginning at the Polmuir Road entrance to Duthie Park, you will journey through the suburbs of Aberdeen to Peterculter. The path takes you past Coalford towards Dalmaik and into Drumoak. This section of the Deeside Way takes roughly 3 – 4 hours to walk.
Drumoak to Banchory: 7 miles / 11 km.
Heading west out of Drumoak towards Crathes you will venture through Park Estate which is an ancient hunting estate of Robert the Bruce. You will enjoy gorgeous views of the River Dee and rolling hills en-route to Banchory. This section of the Deeside Way takes roughly 2 – 2.5 hours to walk.
Banchory to Aboyne: 13 miles / 21 km.
The longest section of the route takes you out of Banchory heading towards Potarch and onwards to Kincardine O’Neil (the oldest village on Deeside) before reaching Aboyne. Most of this section is not on the old railway line, it takes you through the hills providing great views over the Aberdeenshire landscape. This section takes roughly 4 – 5 hours to walk.VisitAberdeenshire
Aboyne to Ballater: 11 miles / 17.7 km.
This final section picks up on the old railway line once again. After leaving Aboyne the route will pass Deeside Gliding Club airfield and on to Dinnet. You will then get to Cambus O’May where you will see the impressive suspension bridge which was damaged following flooding in December 2015. For any Cheese connoisseurs a trip to Cambus O’May Creamery is a must do for a much needed refuel. Shortly after you will arrive in Ballater, winding through the houses transporting you back to Queen Victoria’s time. This final section takes roughly 3 – 4 hours to walk.”
STONE CIRCLES TRAIL
Stone circles can be found throughout Britain and Ireland, in various forms, and were erected between c.2700 – 2000 BC (the Bronze Age). Around 10% of the total number of stone circles recorded in Britain can be found in Aberdeenshire, and the region even boasts its own unique style of circle – the Recumbent Stone Circle.
VisitAberdeenshire
Found almost exclusively in Aberdeenshire, more than 70 examples of Recumbent Stone Circles have been recorded in the region. The distinctive feature of the Recumbent Stone Circle is a massive stone, laid horizontally on its side in the Southwestern or Southern arc of the circle, flanked by the two tallest stones of the circle.
Recumbent Stone Circles are usually found on the crests of hills or terraces, with wide southerly views, although in some cases the landscapes in which they now sit would be unrecognisable to their creators.
The sites listed present 10 of the best examples of Aberdeenshire’s stone circles.
Click here to view the PDF version.
“Aberdeen or New Aberdeen was established by the time of King David I (1124-1153). St Nicholas Kirk, or the Mither Kirk, is thought to originate from before 1157, and was one of the largest medieval burgh kirks in Scotland.
Alexander II established a Merchant Guild in 1222 which through successive enactments was created a powerful organisation whose influence was to shape the life and fabric of Aberdeen.Aberdeen developed around Castle Hill, St Katherine’s Hill and Gallowgate Hill. Castlegate was a commercial area from an early period.
Aberdeen Heritage Trust
Alexander I (1107-24) cited Aberdeen as one of 3 trading centres north of the Forth. By the end of the medieval period Aberdeen was one of the wealthiest burghs in Scotland.”
Part of a 1661 map showing St Nicholas Kirk (Mither Kirk or “Great Church”) (on left) and Castle Hill (on right).
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.
Tripadvisor List of Hotels in the Centre of Aberdeen
Please note that VisitAberdeenshire has provided an event accommodation booking system where you can reserve and pay for some of the hotels. If you use this system, the conference organisers can track where delegates are staying and provide better advice when answering queries about transportation to/from venues.
Please click on the image to be taken to the booking site.
Map of City Centre Hotels in Aberdeen
For information about how to get to the conference venue from the City Centre hotels, please see the “Getting around Aberdeen” page.
