Hello, Everyone,
For anyone planning to be near Aberdeen in late June, the city is hosting the European Pipe Band Championships. This is not the same event as the World Pipe Band Championships, which are held on Glasgow Green in late August.
Note the reference to American tourists! :)
Mike (Auchterless)
Oh wow, what a wonderful event - it makes me want to cry because I won't be there to see it! But I hope they get lots of other tourists, though - it would be such an interesting even to experience!
Mike, looks like an event right up my ally. Wish I were back in Scotland. Love the country and it’s charming people.
I'm trying to schedule it currently, but no train fares are released currently.
I booked tickets for the Highland Games in May today. A bit of a complicated affair as I am in Manchester the day before (the totally wrong direction for me) and Inverness the day after (kind of the wrong direction from Glasgow back to England).
Hotel rooms in Aberdeen are already getting tight for that weekend.
Hi, isn31c,
Just had a quick look at the PIs in Aberdeen, which are my standby choice of accommodation there. They are all solidly booked, with the exception of the PI at Dyce. There are still rooms there at very good rates. The Stagecoach 727 bus stops near there, and takes you directly to Union Square, which is about a mile from Duthie Park. It's an easy walk to the park, although most of it is through an industrial area. Or you could take the College Street route, and save a bit of time.
As you'll be in Manchester the day before, and Inverness the day after, you could conceivably fly Loganair from Manchester to Aberdeen (Dyce) on the afternoon of the 23rd., or the morning of the 24th., then take the train to Inverness on the 25th. You could then return home via rail on the 26th. Just a thought.
Hope you can get there!
Best wishes,
Mike (Auchterless)
I've confused things here as Manchester then Inverness are in connection with the Gourock Highland Games in May- so I do Lake District to Manchester to Gourock to Glasgow to Inverness to Lake District. An entirely sensible straight line journey!!
Dyce Airport is a good idea as I have an outstanding check visit to do to their war memorial.
My own go to hotel in Aberdeen is the Ibis on the Quayside.
I don't fly domestically (or almost anywhere in Western Europe) on Environmental grounds (although I have much enjoyed Loganair in the past before my voluntary ban came into force, they are a great wee airline), and anyway wouldn't pay their £100 when I can do Manchester to Aberdeen for under £20 on a train/coach combo, possibly even train alone on a good day.
Oddly I had one exception to that ban coming up for very particular reasons- from Luton to Inverness for £16. After a recent thread on this forum about Covid risks on flights (and reading some of the unhelpful comments on that thread) I have been badly spooked and so have scrapped that flight. That flight was for fam visits to non airside facilities, so Inverness has been moved to be with Gourock (above) and Luton taken as a separate visit- when I will have the rare luxury of 5 hours in the afternoon in London, with a blank sheet of paper for that time currently.
I've now booked the PI at Dyce Airport for the Saturday night and am arriving in to Aberdeen on the Red Eye coach from Glasgow. On the way back on the Sunday I might stop off at the Tartan exhibition at the V and A in Dundee, when rail tickets are released.
Using my Senior Railpass I even get a good discount on the Aberdeen Airport Bus, by using Plus Bus.
On the Saturday if the weather is too bad for piping I have a cracking plan B to go up the North East Coast to Peterhead, Fraserburgh and all the way round to Cullen (for Cullen Skink) and Elgin.
Steve Marsh did a good video recently on Cullen Skink at Cullen.
Who knows I may be able to fit in a Clyde ferry on the way up on the Friday, or even the classic 4 ferry circular route- Glasgow to Ardrossan to Brodick to Lochranza via the String road to Claonaig to Tarbert to Portavadie to Dunoon to Glasgow.
There may be even be a trip report in this, who knows.
I would certainly love to read a trip report, Stuart - it sounds wonderful.
Hi, isn31c,
If the Rockpool in Cullen is closed as it was last summer when we were there, Lily's Kitchen Cafe, just up the street, has excellent Cullen Skink. The portions are huge! Mrs. A and I felt that we could have shared a bowl, and still been full! Lily's won the Cullen Skink award a few years ago.
I think that we'll have to try your four ferry circular tour next time. We've been on all of those ferries, but not all on the same visit. Last year we ferried from Port Ellen to Kennacraig; Tarbert to Portavadie; Colintraive to Rhubodach; and Rothesay to Wemyss Bay, all in an effort to get from Islay to Glasgow in the most direct way possible. We even had time to visit Mount Stuart. Of course, we had a car - your route is more challenging by public transportation.
If you have a chance while you're in Duthie Park, check out the Winter Garden. The floral displays and the cacti room are amazing.
Safe travels!
Mike (Auchterless)
By the way it came to light yesterday, by chance, that the Holiday Inn Express at Dyce Airport also has very competitive rates, both for that weekend and at other times. It's not a chain that I ever think of using.
Apparently some of the rooms there give you excellent runway views.
Well my 4 ferry route on the way to Aberdeen is now sunk without trace. It just has to be a plain and simple journey up to Aberdeen now. We have engineering work on my local railway line that week with bus replacements so extended journey time (which hasn't been publically advertised yet) and the uncertainty of the new rail strikes just destroys advance planning, so I have to have a plan which can be replaced by coach throughout, if a strike is announced on the Friday.
The decision has to be taken now, I am bitterly disappointed at losing the chance for a unique opportunity for a great side trip.
Hopefully on the way back south on the Sunday no strike is announced, or I may have a long, long coach diversion.
