Today we planned to drive to Aberdeen to stay with John and Vicki (Suzy's cousin). When we told them months ago that we were coming to Scotland, they invited us to stay with them.
After breakfast at the hotel, we set off from Edinburgh at about 9am. But first we had to get out of the hotel's car park. The spaces in the car were very tight (which is common in the UK) and we managed to scratch the car in the process (near the headlight on the passenger's side).
The first stop on our journey was going to be St Andrews and so we travelled north on the A92. Soon after leaving Edinburgh, we crossed the Forth Bridge and then left the major route to travel along rural roads to St Andrews.
At St Andrews, we visited the ruins of the castle and then the cathedral, making use of the Explorer Pass that we bought yesterday at Edinburgh Castle.
Initially, it was raining but the weather improved as we progressed through the sites. Both sites have a beautiful location next to the sea.
At the cathedral, I climbed the tower in the centre of the site. There are more than 150 steps to the top. Once again, it has a spiral staircase and most of it is made from stone but the initial section is a steel spiral staircase. The views from the top are well worth the climb.
For lunch, we found a delightful little cafe in the centre of town. After lunch, we drove the short distance to St Andrews golf course. The course was not open today but I was still able to take photos.
Vicki and John had previously suggested that we visit Dunnotar Castle - just south of Aberdeen - and that they would meet us there.
After we left St Andrews, they sent us a message saying they'd had a violent thunderstorm in Aberdeen with heavy rain and didn't know whether it would be a good idea to visit the castle. We decided to persevere with our original plan and see what the weather was like when we got to the castle.
Along the way, the rain became heavier which made driving more challenging. When we reached the castle at 3pm, it was still raining but not very hard. We decided to go in and Vicki and John and family arrived soon after.
The castle is on a steep isolated hill next to the sea. At first it looked pretty ordinary but once we got inside we realised it was a fascinating castle with beautiful grounds and lots of nooks and crannies. Well worth the visit. It is a privately-owned castle and so we weren't able to use our Explorer Pass.
Afterwards, Vicki came with us in our car to show us the way to their house. On the way, we stopped at a little town called Stonehaven to admire the town and the harbour. We reached their house just before 6pm.
Vicki and John live in a very small town called Maryculter outside Aberdeen. Their house is in a refurbished stone building in the countryside. It's almost brand new inside with a beautiful fit-out and large rooms. It feels like a large country estate - quiet, peaceful, spacious and with every modern feature you could need.
After breakfast at the hotel, we set off from Edinburgh at about 9am. But first we had to get out of the hotel's car park. The spaces in the car were very tight (which is common in the UK) and we managed to scratch the car in the process (near the headlight on the passenger's side).
The first stop on our journey was going to be St Andrews and so we travelled north on the A92. Soon after leaving Edinburgh, we crossed the Forth Bridge and then left the major route to travel along rural roads to St Andrews.
At St Andrews, we visited the ruins of the castle and then the cathedral, making use of the Explorer Pass that we bought yesterday at Edinburgh Castle.
Initially, it was raining but the weather improved as we progressed through the sites. Both sites have a beautiful location next to the sea.
At the cathedral, I climbed the tower in the centre of the site. There are more than 150 steps to the top. Once again, it has a spiral staircase and most of it is made from stone but the initial section is a steel spiral staircase. The views from the top are well worth the climb.
For lunch, we found a delightful little cafe in the centre of town. After lunch, we drove the short distance to St Andrews golf course. The course was not open today but I was still able to take photos.
Vicki and John had previously suggested that we visit Dunnotar Castle - just south of Aberdeen - and that they would meet us there.
After we left St Andrews, they sent us a message saying they'd had a violent thunderstorm in Aberdeen with heavy rain and didn't know whether it would be a good idea to visit the castle. We decided to persevere with our original plan and see what the weather was like when we got to the castle.
Along the way, the rain became heavier which made driving more challenging. When we reached the castle at 3pm, it was still raining but not very hard. We decided to go in and Vicki and John and family arrived soon after.
The castle is on a steep isolated hill next to the sea. At first it looked pretty ordinary but once we got inside we realised it was a fascinating castle with beautiful grounds and lots of nooks and crannies. Well worth the visit. It is a privately-owned castle and so we weren't able to use our Explorer Pass.
Afterwards, Vicki came with us in our car to show us the way to their house. On the way, we stopped at a little town called Stonehaven to admire the town and the harbour. We reached their house just before 6pm.
Vicki and John live in a very small town called Maryculter outside Aberdeen. Their house is in a refurbished stone building in the countryside. It's almost brand new inside with a beautiful fit-out and large rooms. It feels like a large country estate - quiet, peaceful, spacious and with every modern feature you could need.
We had an excellent dinner with them. It was a great opportunity to catch up with them.
Click here to see my photos for this day.
1 comment:
Lucky you. Sounds as if you are having a wonderful time. We were interesed to read your comments about Chester, as we are staying there a couple of nights. Also we have decided to pack a few more warm clothes seeing it has been so cool for you. John is looking forward to sampling the beer you recommended. Hope the rest of your trip goes well.
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