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So to this fine city and a few facts and points of interest:
Every year in January we head for the Granite City to share our tartans with those in the North of Scotland planning a wedding in the next few years. We love the Your Wedding Exhibition for its friendly atmosphere and all the lovely people we meet over the course of the weekend. Even if you don't want tartan at your wedding that doesn't mean we don't want to hear all about your plans for the big day! Come and say hello, explore your clan connections and don't miss the fashion show as our outfits will be centre stage.
Wedding Trends
Colourful, whimsical weddings were on trend for 2023 and we loved this return to big, bright colours after the last few years of minimalist aesthetic, neutrals and muted colors. Tartan is of course the perfect way to bring a whimsical touch to your wedding reception with plenty of colour and creative design. Viva Magenta was the colour of the year and for our trip up north we provided our tartan variation of this with the Aberdeen tartan. Our model sashayed down the catwalk with a stylish, bold red and pink tartan bolero jacket to complement her wedding gown, matching bow sash and a pair of court shoes to top off the look. Our groom wore a Highland Romance kilt, picking out the magenta trip with a bright and bold sock.
If Viva Magenta isn't your style, the other most popular wedding colours were blue, white and gold. The Albany tartan, designed by our very own Emily for our store in the USA features all of these colours and stole the catwalk show with a short sleeve shift dress, matching Amelia hat, shoes and clutch bag. Her partner wore a tailored, full three piece suit and a pair of leather brogues with tartan inserts to add to the unique look.
Green is always popular with event planners if you prefer a more classic look with a pop of colour. With tartan you have an endless selection of shades of green to choose from, so we decided to shine the light on the Gretna Green with it's romantic association with eloping couples and runaway weddings. Paired with your man in a very dapper tartan dinner suit the Kate Coat, matching kilted skirt and kitten heels is a very classy Scottish look.
Granite
Aberdeen is Scotland’s third largest city and nicknamed the Granite City because more than half of its buildings are built from granite quarried from the local Rubislaw Quarry. And the use of this famous granite was not confined to Scotland as it was also used to build London’s Houses of Parliament and Waterloo Bridge. The constuction of the Forth Rail Bridge used 640,000 cubic feet of Aberdeen granite.
Paper
The Aberdeen Journal is Scotland's oldest daily newspaper and one of the world's longest running newspapers in Britain, first printed in 1748. And if you like to send a letter you will be interested to learn that the self-seal envelope was developed in Aberdeen.
Nature
Love the great outdoors? The Cairngorms National Park near Aberdeen has five of the UK’s six highest mountains and is twice the size of the Lake District. If this isn't enough then Aberdeen harbour is known as the best place to see dolphins.
Castles
Set atop a cliff on the east coast of Scotland within easy reach of Aberdeen (only 20 miles from Aberdeen International Airport) is the magnificent Dunnottar Castle. Rich in history and associated with the Keith Clan, it is an icon of Scotland not to be missed and well worth a visit as confirmed by some of our team who have been!
Dunnottar Castle is on the Aberdeenshire Coastal Trail, and there is a walk you can do from Stonehaven. A great way to get outdoors and take in the breathtaking views of the castle and the North Sea with access to the Stonehaven War Memorial on Black Hill on your way.
Stone Circles
10% of Britain’s stone circles are located in Aberdeenshire. Recumbent stone circles feature one stone on its side flanked by two upright ones and around 90 of these are still in place in the area. 4000 years ago, nomads began to herd animals in the clearings they created from tilling. In northeast Scotland, these nomads erected mysterious monuments, which are now classified as Recumbent Stone Circles.
Bridges
The Brig o’Balgowne near Seaton Park is Aberdeen’s and Scotland’s oldest bridge. Construction started in the late 13th century and was competed in 1320.
Fabulous places to stay
Maryculter House is one of the most historic hotels in Aberdeen and could not be missed from our round-up of the area. If you are planning a wedding or visiting then where better than a hotel steeped in 800 years of history? Going back to the time of the Great Crusades, King William the Lion granted the land of Culter, on the south side of the River Dee to the Knights Templar in 1187, and the Knights of St John of Jerusalem remained at Maryculter for over 200 years, until the Reformation resulted in confiscation of the the lands on Deeside. The Great Hall is the oldest part of the hotel and dates back to 1460, lending a grand and historic atmosphere to any event.
When you visit Maryculter you can meet James and William, the very cute Jacobites who reside in the hotel reception depicting their patriotic predecessors who played their part in the Jacobite rebellion in the 18th century. William Menzies, a descendant of the Menzies Clan, bought the land of Maryculter House in 1535 and was Laird of the estate for the first half of the 18th century. A staunch supporter of James Edward Stuart, he fought in the 1715 rebellion and his sons fought in the uprising of 1745 and the bloody Battle of Culloden.
Another point of interest for your visit is the weather cock above the Great Hall featuring the Gordon Clan Crest, a bow and arrow in an archer's grasp, which dates back to 1811 when the last Laird, John Menzies sold the estate to the Honourable General William Gordon of Fyvie. The hotel remained with the Gordon's until after the second world war, home to Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon who famously survived the Titanic disaster. While you stay at Maryculter House you can take the Clan Gordon tour which "explores the beautiful scenery of the Gordon heartland whilst tracing some of the clan history through their estates and more humble homes, castles and military legacy." You can enjoy a visit to the Gordon Highlanders Museum, exclusive access to Aboyne Castle and if you are really lucky you might even meat the Earl of Aboyne, Clan Chief and Marquis of Huntly. One not to be missed!
Golf
Anyone for Golf? There are over 70 golf clubs within an hour’s travel of Aberdeen Airport making it an excellent destination for those who love to take the little white ball for a nice walk.
Whisky
The Aberdeen area has the largest number of whiskey distilleries of any whisky producing area in Scotland. Many of the 17 distilleries are open to visitors if you fancy learning a little more about how your favourite dram is produced. We blogged about the finest whiskies to accompany your haggis and there are a few Aberdeenshire flavours in there.
Celebrities
Famous Aberdonians include architect Archibald Simpson, footballer Denis Law, golfer Paul Lawrie and singers Emeli Sande and Annie Lennox. Sir David Gill, who took the first photograph of the moon in 1868, was born in Aberdeen. And to top it all Aberdeen Footclub's home ground, Pittodrie Stadium, was the first all seater stadium in Scotland.
Tartan
Aberdeen does also have it's own tartan, a regional tartan rather than related to a particular clan, and very pretty with strong red, a hint of pink and some grey and black to represent the granite the area is so famous for.
So Aberdeen really has it all. What are you waiting for, head up to the northeast where the Don and Dee run into the sea and explore this lovely area of Scotland for yourself. There are over 30 places named Aberdeen throughout the world but nothing beats the Scottish Aberdeen.
