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Aberdeen
Scotland
Ticked off Edinburgh and Glasgow? Shimmy up to Scotland’s
third-largest city for its granite-hewn architecture – long hailed
as the most beautiful in Europe – city surfing and an eclectic
creative scene fuelled by vibrant street art and “Made in Aberdeen”
collectives such as Look Inside.
Orient yourself with a stroll through the city where brutalist
tower blocks rub shoulders with neo-gothic spires, juxtaposing
stone columns and Victorian domes. Nip into the (recently
refurbished) Aberdeen Art Gallery, before refuelling at Foodstory Café, a
centrally located vegan café. Make tracks towards Footdee –
affectionately nicknamed Fittie by locals – a teeny tiny fishing
quarter filled with ‘grammable cottages and onwards to the dunes of
Balmedie. It’ll take you about three hours. Circle back (or catch
the bus) to treat yourself to a scoop of Aberdeenshire ice cream at
Mackies
19.2. Classics flavours line the menu as do a few more
adventurous options; Brussels sprouts and haggis paired with
marmalade pop up seasonally. Call us vanilla but the, eh, vanilla
is our go-to scoop. This best-of-both-worlds bothy doubles up as
the gateway to Aberdeenshire’s natural playground – Cairngorms
National Park and Scotland’s northern sandy swatches are all within
an easy reach