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Outside the City
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If you have time and ancestors in other parts of the North-East, a day trip driving through the countryside to the various graveyards
and small villages is recommended. After looking at maps of the parishes, I was interested to note how small many of these parishes were,
and how likely it was that people lived in one parish and worshipped at the parish church in another. Don't overlook this fact when tracing
your genealogy. Aberdeen itself is a good example. The parish of St. Nicholas is relatively small, and almost surrounded by Old Machar,
which includes Old Aberdeen and most of "new" Aberdeen. Banchory Devenick and Nigg in Kincardine are also just a stone's throw away across
the River Dee. Banchory Devenick was a farming and fishing parish, and farmers regularly brought their goods into the city. My own ancestors
came from that area in the 1820s, and I'm still finding ancestors there from the previous century. Stonehaven in nearby Fetteresso parish
about 15 miles south of Aberdeen is another must-visit location. I can recommend the pub lunch in the Boat Inn on the Quay...get there early
if it's a nice day because Stonehaven harbour is a popular tourist site. Stop by
Dunnottar Castle, just south of town. A spectacular mediaeval ruin, that has a fascinating history, it's a wothwhile albeit somewhat slippery
walk from their car park in damp weather. Wear sensible shoes!
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Dunnottar Castle near Stonehaven
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Up Deeside
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On a good day (preferably during the week when traffic is less problematic) a trip "up Deeside" to Braemar is a wonderful introduction
to the Highlands. Leaving Aberdeen on the A93, the drive to Braemar takes a leisurely hour and a half. At Ballater, the
Alexandra Hotel boasts a genuine Scottish country hotel atmosphere, and has a great Aberdeen Angus steak lunch.
Among the many sites along the route, Balmoral Castle is probably the most famous. Between Ballater and Balmoral,
a diversion up the road to Strathdon takes the visitor across some of the most barren areas of the highlands.
The 8 foot poles along both sides of the road here allow the snow-plough drivers to determine their track… a reminder of those
times many years ago when heavier snowfalls made the road impassable. Strathdon is probably best known now as the home of Scottish comedian
Billy Connolly, who has incurred the wrath of the locals by closing the gardens of Candacraig House, often used in the past for photo-ops for
wedding parties.
Driving north from Strathdon, the road winds uphill through a little-populated area of the highlands,
through Cabrach to Tomintoul. From there, the whiskey trail beckons, with a number of distilleries along Speyside offering tours and samples.
I recommend a designated driver if you want to enjoy this part of your visit to the fullest!
Strathdon Kirkyard
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Rhynie is another area worth a visit. A charming 12th century farming village, it's still a remote and quiet spot in the early spring.
A few miles south on the road to Tomintoul, you can visit the Bronze Age hill fort at Tap O'Noth. From the car park at the base,
be prepared for a ninety minute walk that takes you up over 1000 ft to the summit. That walk will make you appreciate the amazing feat of
its builders, who managed to actually fuse the stones of the walls of the site with fire. To this day there's no accurate explanation
as to how much wood, how long the fires had to burn, or even why they built this amazing fortification. Once you walk up to
the summit, the panoramic view from the fort (photo, following page) encompasses the hills and glens for 20 miles or more on a clear day. Certainly, anyone posted as a
lookout here in the past mists of time would have had ample warning of the approach of enemy forces. But the question remains…how did they survive
up there, and what did they live on in the Scottish winter? Even on a May day, with temperatures in the surrounding valleys in the 20s, the north-east wind
can be bone-chilling!
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Your intrepid host at the Tap O'Noth vitrified fort.
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