The Malt Whisky Trail

Aberdeen offers an explosion of wonderful scenery from an unspoilt harbour on its eastern coast to the magnificent Grampian Mountains in the west. With so so many sights to take in, it's well worth the cost to get a hire car from Aberdeen Airport. Since it's the third largest city in Scotland, expect Aberdeen to offer a diversity of cosmopolitan merits from the arts to sites of historical interest and endless shopping possibilities. This area of Aberdeen and the Grampians is responsible for that magnet for discerning drinkers everywhere, the Malt Whisky Trail. When you have recovered from sampling the malts of eight distilleries, then it's time to follow the Castle Trail amidst the breathtaking views of this wonderful region. There is a whole host of activities such as fishing, golf, skiing, whisky tasting and a whole lot more on offer here in The Grampian Highlands.

Don't be surprised to find some form of celebration or festival to be taking place whilst you are in Aberdeen. Tourists and locals regularly meet to celebrate the region’s past with traditional entertainment and events like the Lonach Highland Gathering and Games. Locally known as the “Friendly Games” the Games are held annually on the 4th Saturday of August at Strathdon in Aberdeenshire. Other events worth attending whilst visiting Aberdeen include, the Aberdeen Jazz Festival (March), the Braemar Telemark Festival  (March), the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival (April-May), the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival (June), The Wickerman, Tartan Day and the Stonehaven Fireball Festival. The Stonehaven festival is one of few remnants of an east coast fire festival traditionally held to see in the New Year.You will find a huge selection of discounted Aberdeen hotels

The new part of Aberdeen known as the "Granite City" offers superb granite buildings and a wonderful range of superb restaurants, top class shopping and a very lively social calendar whenever you arrive. Coincidentally, if Aberdeen has such a wealth of riches, why are its own people recognised as internationally well travelled? Why would they want to ever leave this wonderful city? They say that you never to appreciate what is already yours but the truth is that Aberdonians are able to look more forward to coming home more than most of us. Who could blame them? They have everything! A pleasant climate, sandy beaches, the Lemon Tree (Aberdeen's own perpetual Festival Fringe), pretty streets, warm friendly people, fishing villages worthy of a place on a postcard and Union Street where you find a vast array of shops, as well as three shopping malls!

Aberdeen is famously nicknamed the "City of Roses" with good reason. A popular landmark and attraction in these parts is that of Duthie Park's Rose Hill with over 12,000 different brilliant colours and assortments of Rose.

Aberdeen’s old town district has a historic air about it. The area known as Old Aberdeen is a preserved site, which was once a single burgh. Here you will encounter its cobbled high street with Provost Ross's House, the Aberdeen Art Gallery, the harbour and many other places of interest within close proximity of one another. Don't miss a chance to explore Aberdeen University’s ancient King's College with its fifteenth century chapel and fixtures.

Whilst in Aberdeen a lot of visitors are interested in the relationship between the city and North Sea. For a number of years North Sea oil reserves have played a huge part in the growth and prosperity as well as devastating losses of life in the region. Visitors can pay their respects at the Piper Alpha Memorial, a memorial garden found in Hazelhead Park dedicated to the loss of 167 North Sea oil workers lost in the 1988 tragedy. For further information about oil exploration in the North Sea, the 5 Star Maritime Museum situated on the Shiprow, offers exhibitions on the fascinating subject well as an in depth insight to earlier (but equally as dangerous) forms of fishing and shipping in the region.

On the map, the area around Aberdeen and the Grampians appears very compact. This is deceiving.  In actual fact, there is a huge expanse of territory to cover with generous servings of attractions at every corner and much will be missed if limited to public transport. Cycling out in the Aberdonian countryside is amazing and highly recommended for all able-bodied souls. For the rest of us,  swapping two wheels for four and exploring the glorious surrounding from behind the wheel of  a rental car from Dyce Airport has many attractions. For the fresh air lovers hiking is a highly enjoyable way to explore beautiful landscapes “off the beaten track”.


The Grampian Highlands

Walking is possibly the premier activity of the Grampians with so much to explore and virgin vistas which can only be found when travelling on foot. Hikers can enjoy a diverse landscape challenge from the exposed coastline to the high altitudes of the Grampian and Cairngorm mountains. If you are looking for an active pursuits holiday the Grampians region of Scotland will not let you down! The offerings are wide and varied from gliding to water sports and cycling to horse riding. Another exciting possibility is off-road driving as well as exploring Scotland's official Long Distance footpaths.

Make your way to Balmoral and in an instant you'll see why Queen Victoria memorably called this magical estate her "Paradise". Built as a holiday destination for the British Royal Family, it is now enjoyed by lots of (non-royal) guests for its world famous sporting activities such as game fishing in the River Dee and cycle races across the Royal estate.

Across at the coast there are some superb facilities for water sports. A notable event is that of the annual yacht race to Stavanger and back. The marina at Peterhead is very popular with visiting yachtsmen whilst sailing enthusiasts make for Findhorn on the Moray Firth.