How to survive lockdown in Aberdeen

Like many Aberdonians I woke up emotional and despondent facing a new lockdown, but while we're restricted to travelling a maximum of five miles for leisure purposes, there’s still a great deal to see, and to celebrate, in the Granite City.

Coastal Class

Aberdeen has headline attractions despite the current closures. Miles of sandy beach with an extensive promenade allow joggers, kids on scooters, and couples linked arm in arm to while away the hours. At the southern end of the beach is the historic Footdee fishing village. Traditionally each house came with its own outhouse and, to this day, these buildings are wonderfully idiosyncratic and colourful.

Carrying on round the coast leads to Girdleness Lighthouse and the Torry Battery, a former nine-gun fortification originally dating back to the 1860s. The draw here could clearly be history, but I usually park up to let the kids spot dolphins playing in the rather cold North Sea. This is a little known but locally renowned site for wildlife.

Urban Insight

For something more urban, experience the Nuart trail. The Nuart street art festival originated in Norway, and it’s transformed both Stavanger and Aberdeen, breathing new life into unloved buildings. My favourite ‘makeover’ was the 70’s eyesore Aberdeen Market on the Green. The German artists Herakut reinvented the building by painting an eerily tranquil young girl on its curved walls. Other popular pieces include Hama Wood’s leopard on Crooked Lane and Strøks’s falling men on Rosemount Viaduct. An online trail is easy to follow independently, in lieu of the walking tours that ran pre-Covid-19.

The Granite City is compact and easy to explore on foot you can embark on a Granite Trail to learn more about the sparkling silver (or grey, depending on the weather) foundations of Aberdeen. Some of the tucked away residential buildings are quite beautiful to behold, such as the former home of photographer George Washington Wilson near Queen’s Cross, or the public housing on Rosemount Square featuring ‘Wind’ and ‘Rain’ bas-relief sculptures. Next come the big players, such as the world’s second largest granite building, Marischal College, and the War Memorial on Schoolhill with its proud lion carved from Kemnay granite.

Go Green

In terms of greenery, it’s pretty easy to find space to breathe and let children run around. Aberdeen has clinched ‘Britain in Bloom’ awards over a dozen times thanks to its exceptionally well-kept parks and gardens, arguably the legacy of renowned Royal gardener David Welch. Socially distanced crowd pleasers include Duthie Park with its Victorian band stand, fountains and boating ponds, and Hazlehead Park, which offers extensive blooms in the Queen Mother Rose Garden and a moving bronze memorial to remember the men of Piper Alpha.

Johnston Gardens are a quiet oasis in the west of the city, and Seaton Park invites a walk to St Machar Cathedral and Old Aberdeen, taking in the university’s King’s College Chapel, and the medieval bridge Brig o’ Balgownie that features in Lord Byron’s poem Don Juan. Byron was schooled in Aberdeen, and his statue welcomes pupils to Aberdeen Grammar School – most likely encouraging his way with words rather than his lifestyle.

New Finds

The silver lining of the months of lockdown is that I’ve somehow found hidden gems that I didn’t know existed, despite living in Aberdeen and shire since I was two years old. As lockdown initially relaxed we took the short hike to the top of Brimmond Hill with staggering views across the city, inland to the mountains and then straight out to sea. We explored the Den of Maidencraig, a nature reserve popping green in every direction with a dramatic waterfall and friendly ducks to feed. And we hit upon a child-friendly cycle route around the new exhibition centre.

We can't wait to welcome you back, but for now, we have plenty to do.