Aberdeen- yay!

[porridgeisbae]

I'm going to Aberdeen for a week on Wednesday- soooo excited! I went to uni there briefly over 26 years ago and haven't felt able to go back before because life got in the way, but now going.

It's so special for me.

I mainly wanted to see bars, cafes, a few churches, beach, the castles at Stonehaven and Dunn(? sorry am on phone so can't look it up at the same time) castle. Try and find where Byron lived.

Didn't go to many places when I was there as I didn't eat well and probably was anaemic- had no energy.

Think it'd be fun to do stuff in my mid 40s that I didn't do at 19/20 (all I did was chain smoke and shag a few randoms.)

I don't think I'll want for stuff to do but just wanted to say yay!!1 basically but welcome anyone's suggestions for stuff to do or particular bars/cafes/restaurants you can recommend.

My mum invited herself lol but that's OK, she walks more than me.

Lunch at the Marcliffe x

Dinner at the Marine Hotel Stonehaven.

You have maybe missed the glory days of Aberdeen. Although Union Square shopping centre isn't too rundown. Union Street shops are looking a bit worse for wear.

It's Dunnottar Castle at Stonehaven. There's also Drum Castle and Crathes Castle nearby.

Enjoy! I love it there - it's Dunnottar castle I believe - incredible

Fish and chips from The Bay in Stonehaven and ice cream at Aunty Betties

Go a walk around footdee!

Check out the refurbished art gallery, especially the views from the roof terrace.
The new restaurant at His Majesty's theatre is meant to be nice.

Union street is sad now. I miss the bustling days. But Belmont street and around is still great! Cafe 52 amazing as ever.

Dunnottar castle I'm taking my kids to next wk as well :-)

River Dee walks.. Old railway line. Duthie Park, Hazelhead park. Banchory is lovely.

Reminisce and enjoy x

@standys I think Old Aberdeen and the University are pretty. Also St Machar's Church etc. Am going to a B&B around that end. Friends had a real thing for Cafe 52 but I've never been- don't know if I even knowingly went to The Green.

The art gallery on school Hill has a great cafe downstairs. Theatre has a cafe with view over union terrace gardens. Would stay away from outside marks n spencer city centre, its become really bad for anti social behaviour. Enjoy your visit. 😁

If you get out to Hazlehead Park there's the rose garden and a nice cafe.

Yes the new art gallery is great and free. It was closed for several years. Union Terrace Gardens has finally been refurbed as well. They are having trouble getting the new units occupied though.

The Green is not the least bit green. Looks even worse now the Indoor Market building has been demolished

Walk from Seaton park to the Brig O’Balgownie - Lovely little oasis.
Swim with the seals
Balmedie Beach
Codonas
The crazy golf is proper crazy in the wind!
Marischal College has had a bit of a polish since you were there and they’ve moved all the medical school cadavers out, it’s just council buildings now but still an impressive granite structure.
Winter gardens at Duthie Park
Maritime Museum
Cafe 52
The Breadmaker
Sand Dollar Cafe

The Albyn Restaurant at the West End of Union Street is good.

Rolls/rowies/butteries 😍

Oh yes Duthie Park is lovely and we had a good walk round the botanical gardens there which was really interesting!

Greyhope Bay Centre and cafe for dolphin watching

I went back for an overnight recently, first time since I graduated and left in 2011. It's all a bit sad looking now, Union Street has post apocalypse vibes and Belmont Street was dead on a Sunday night. We were the only people in TK's at 10pm!

Union Square is more lively, but its just a generic shopping centre and won't have been there when you were. We didn't make it up Union Street , would have liked to have seen if Rustico and The Globe still held any nostalgia. Ha, can you tell I basically just ate and drank for those 5 years in the city!

@BinauralBeats That's mostly what I planned to do.

Seaton Park- nostalgia tastic. I was at Hillhead for a bit but obvs that was nothing like my little 'studio flat' I thought was well posh on University Road.

I'll have to go back again again at this rate with all these fab suggestions 😁

Am I wrong to have only liked it there in spring/summer? I don't need weather that discourages me from going out. Weak, I know.

Haha yes, the grey gets so much grey-er in the rain! Aw Hillhead, the number 20 bus, now that would be a nostalgic ride! Hope you have a lovely wee trip 😊

I just remember walking across Seaton Park to Uni etc in the driving rain. It felt like it took ages.

But the entrance to park/St machar's Church was gorgeous.

I hope I'm not too disappointed looking at it all with older eyes lol.

Have any of you been in St. Peter's? I'm Catholic now so I'll go. It sounds quite blingy? Which is the best kind of Catholic church IMHO.

Awesome suggestions all.

Any more?

Going to write them all out later.

Any ideas for where to eat in the afternoon if we go to Banchory?

@BinauralBeats I hadn't been to either before but The Globe was just a bland chain pub really (bearing in mind it's out of term time so maybe quieter.)

Just been to Rustico, it was gorgeous 😍