3 questions: Inverary vs Cawdor, Aberdeen driving and suggestions Loch Lomond/The Trossachs

Hi, Claire89,

I have an answer for you regarding Aberdeen - The Codona Amusement Park does have a dedicated car park. As of this past summer, it's still free to park there. The car park entrance is behind the restaurants at the far (south) end of the complex.

If you're coming from town, you can take Beach Boulevard as far as Links Road. The boulevard is closed from Links Road to the Esplanade. You can either turn right at the traffic light on to Links Road, and follow it past the shopping center on your right to the roundabout at Wellington Road. The entrance to the car park is the first left off of the roundabout.

If you turn left at the traffic light on to Links Road, you would follow it around to the Esplanade, turn right off of the roundabout, then bear left at the traffic light on to the beach front. There is angled parking along the beach front (if you can find a space!), but if you're planning to spend time at the arcades and rides, you'd be better off in the car park. Turn right at the roundabout at the end, by the Burger King, then go 3/4 of the way around the Wellington Road roundabout into the car park.

If you go that latter way, you'll be passing the Beach Ballroom, which will be on your left. The Beatles played there on January 6th., 1963, to a very small audience. Little did anyone know!

As far as getting to the beach from your hotel, it is walking distance, although you'd be walking through a heavily trafficked industrial area. There is one bad crossing for pedestrians. If you do decide to walk, turn east on Guild Street, which becomes Virginia Street. Cross over Commerce Street to Castle Terrace, then bear left on Cotton Street and follow it to Links Road. By going this way, you'll see why Aberdeen has been named the third most depressing place in which to live in Britain! You can also drive this way, if your hotel is near the train station. However, be very wary of dedicated bus lanes, which will affect you if you're driving on Guild Street. Also be aware of them if you are driving up to Union Street. The bus lanes are noted by markings on the road surface and blue street signs on the kerb (curb).

If you decide to take the bus, I think that First Bus number 13 runs from Union Square to the beach.

If you're visiting Fittie, you can park at Porca Quay, or you can park along the Esplanade between Queen's Links (where the Burger King is) and Fittie itself. Or you could even continue to park at the arcade.

As far as things to see and do on the way from Inverary to Glasgow, I'd recommend stopping at the village of Luss. Because of the heavy influx of visitors, you now have to pay to park there. It's a very attractive village, and you can walk along the pebbled beach on the shores of Loch Lomond. There are also boat tours of Loch Lomond from the pier at Luss. Reservations are pretty much a requirement. I think that there are 60 and 90 minute cruises. Personally, I'd go for the 90.

Best wishes, and Happy New Year!

Mike (Auchterless)

Luss is a good place to stop on that side of Loch Lomond. Very pretty little village with great views across the Loch.

Bang for your bucks, I would chose Inverary Castle rather than Cawdor.

I was really disappointed by Cawdor Castle - the gardens were lovely as was the outside of the castle, but the inside was distinctly underwhelming. It is still a family home and the rooms felt very lived in and had seen better days... (If I was bored by the inside, then the kids will be too...) Although Cawdor was made famous by Shakespeare in his play 'Macbeth', the real Macbeth died in 1057 and was never Thane of Cawdor. The castle dates from the C14th....

Bus 13 goes down to the Beach every 20 minutes- (ensure you are catching it towards Old Aberdeen/Hillhead) not towards Scatterburn (the other direction). Most of the time it goes to the beach (at the Esplanade/Links Road junction near The Highlander Cafe).
From there Footdee is an easy walk, but every two hours or so it extends south into Footdee at the York Street/Esplanade junction (just beside the Public Toilets).

Hello Claire89
We have visited both Cawdor & Inverary Castles and agree with wasleys.

Cawdor rooms are filled to the brim with furniture, paintings and tapestries which are interesting but to us the jumble did not allow pieces to shine individually. The castle seemed dark, not as well loved as Inverary.

Unexpectedly we thoroughly enjoyed Inverary. The staff were exceptional. As we were visiting shoulder season in the afternoon, the staff were not busy so we especially enjoyed a rather long chat with a guide, Angus?, on the 1st floor who told us the story of the how the ghost of a young harpist came to be inhabiting the castle. https://hiddenscotland.com/journal/the-ghostly-harpist-of-inveraray-castle Perhaps your kids would enjoy a ghost story? There are some nice walks on the grounds also.

Last night, ironically at a post sabbatical talk at St Mark's Cathedral in Seattle, I learnt facts about St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Aberdeen that I wasn't aware of before (or had forgotten)-

In 1938 JFK visited the Cathedral when his father opened an extension to the Cathedral (and a stone tablet commemorates that fact).

Also there are ornate crests of the American states on the ceiling of the Cathedral nave. These represent the close links between the American and Scottish Episcopal Churches dating back to 1784 when the American Episcopal Church sent Samuel Seabury over to England to be consecrated as first Bishop.
The Church of England insisted that he swear allegiance to the Crown (obviously impossible) so he travelled to Aberdeen to be consecrated by three Scottish Bishops where there was no such requirement- just one to promote the Scottish prayer book in America.

I'd go with Inveraray too.It's lovely as are the extensive woodland grounds and the whole place is in a beautiful location beside the loch with the mountains all around.
It's a great drive, scenic all the way to Loch Lomond.
A short boat trip on the loch at Tarbet , to me, gives you the best views of the loch especially at the pretty spot that is Inversnaid where the boat lands.Nice waterfalls plus some excellent short walks, outlined in a leaflet at the hotel.

Firkin Point also has a small parking area and a nice flat walk along the loch shore.

Luss is very pretty, gets very buy with day trippers but is still worth a stop.The Faerie Trail is fun for younger children - there's a charge for this.

https://www.lochlomondfaerietrail.com

The Coachhouse Cafe in Luss is good for light lunches, enormous scones and excellent home made meringues.usually busy and there's often a queue to get in though you can book ahead.There is a short visitor trail through the village.

Re slightly longer but still short hikes before Loch Lomond - you can also stop at the Visitor centre at Ardgartan in Glen Croe where an obvious forestry road takes you as far as you want either north or south towards Loch Long.There are some lovely views from the large hotel which overlooks Loch Long and its stony shore, only perhaps a 10-15 min walk away.

Since we're talking about Loch Lomond, a friend of mine lived in as a chef at the Drovers Inn, just north of the Loch on the A82. If you're interested in spooky goings on that's a place to consider staying. I don't remember detail, but my friend said that it was nigh on impossible to get a good night's sleep with all the banging and clattering from ghostly goings on. It doesn't get great reviews in general however, so you'd need to be pretty committed to the supernatural to want to stay there.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/rMgwSoTzhP38DwCc7

Here's another vote for Inverary over Cawdor. I also did not like Cawdor very much, and actually left about halfway through as I was bored to death. I did enjoy the gardens but not enough to warrant a special trip. Definitely choose Inveraray Castle!!