This post office is in the petrol station in Dunecht, in the little garage shop situated next to…read morethe counter where youpay for your petrol. There is only one window to be served at in this post office, and it is usually the person who is working the till for the garage who is also working the post office, so if there are other people getting served paying for their petrol then you will have to wait your turn at the post office window until they are free to serve you. Its an ok little post office which does the job, even if you do have to wait to get served sometimes!

I spotted the War Memorial on the hillside overlooking the water when exploring Dunnottar Castle…read more Once spotted, I decided to make time so that when I was done exploring the castle I would try and make it out and back before closing for the day, 6 p.m. After done exploring the castle and the corresponding beach beneath it, I was on the trail at 5:30 p.m. and unsure of the distance to the memorial, so I walked with occasional running spurts to the site. I marveled at the joy of running in the greenery. However, I also realized I was out of shape on this heritage travel trip I was taking through Scotland (in July 2019). It had been a while since I ran a sub-5 minute mile (2012), but my zest for speed was reawakened (my personal best now, at 30 years of age in May 2023, is 4 minutes and 41.27 seconds). While making my way to the memorial I saw various insects and birds, though none of the famous Scotland red squirrels. Pondering this, I also started thinking about if it was time for me to find a new spirit animal, perhaps a Russian hamster... they run 10 kilometers (approximately 6.2 miles) during the night. While my mind, and occasionally my body, raced towards the memorial, I did not lose sight of it and the trail led directly to the memorial site. The memorial honors local people who died in various wars in the 20th century (1900s). The entrance was straightforward to find from the trail, admission was free, and the memorial itself was open to the environment. I liked the design, which helped me spot it from afar. Scurrying back to my car I arrived about a minute or two before closing.

The Stonehaven War Memorial is extremely atmospheric all the year round. It dominates the views to…read morethe south of the town as I think is only fitting for something commemorating those who gave their lives in the service of their country. When I was in my teens and lived in Stonehaven they used to hold the town's Remembrance Service up at the memorial every November which made the impact of the service even greater as it really brought it home to you that those who had died had been a part of the town and the landscape in all its beauty. It's free to enter the Memorial. There's a steep walk which is more than rewarded by the view, but this means that it may not be a suitable destination for those of limited mobility.

Footdee is such a fun place to walk around whether you are visiting Aberdeen or are a local…read more It's a residential area, but the old fishing cottages that are still lived in have such character, and it feels like you've stepped back in time. The area feels altogether apart from Aberdeen City, but it's just at the end of the beach and easy to get to! I would definitely recommend a wander on a nice day. Makes a fun place for showing friends/family that might be visiting, too, as you can show them a piece of living Aberdeen history!

Heading east on A975, a dirt road turned off from the highway on the right and led to a side of the…read moreNew Slains Castle. It was a little bumpy for my Ford Fiesta rental car on my drive in on Monday 8 July 2019, though not too bad. At the end of the road, by cliffs overlooking the ocean and the New Slains Castle ruins was a larger area with space for parking. Grass was growing high and clusters of white wildflowers were in bloom throughout the castle ruins in a number of the rooms/areas with dirt as floor. Some of the walls were quite intact, while others were entirely gone or crumbling. The interior was shaded by the taller walls on the warm morning with walls and stairs cool to the touch. Climbing the watchtower, the views out the windows looked over the water and the view from the top of the stairs looked out over castle rooms and the grounds surrounding the castle. Outside the castle, there were footpaths through the grass. Seacliffs to the water below had different birds nesting and foraging about in crevices in the rock. On my visit I did not spot any informational placards about what each room was. I enjoyed this type of exploratory experience as it got me to really tune into what remained of each room to try and sleuth out what its function might have been.

Tolquhon castle was the first castle I visited in Scotland. It's not the biggest, nor is it the…read moremost breath taking, but I really enjoyed it. The castle care taker that rotated through there was very nice and gave us a small tour which added an interesting note. (Don't expect a tour though. We just caught her on a good time while she was cleaning). What makes this castle different from most other castles is that it was designed more for elegance rather than strength. As the parking lot plaque states "Visited by King James VI in 1589, this castle was once the height of fashion. Designed to impress through elegance rather than strength, the walls are richly decorated and thin - no good in a seige." The road to get to this one is narrow and on many occasions you may have to pull to the side and let cars pass through. The cost of entry is less than 5 GBP for one adult. Fun facts: If a construction worker died during the job, they would just bury him within the building and moved on.

After an early supper at the Old Blackfriars on Castle Street in Aberdeen in the afternoon on…read moreSunday 7 July 2019, I made my way north on foot to my lodging for the night, The Brig Inn. Perhaps a block into my northbound trek, I spotted a statue well-loved by the birds. It was The Gordon Highlanders statue, dedicated to the regiment from the north and east of Scotland. It was located between a couple of streets bearing the name Castle Street. The statue is of a Gordon Highlander in full uniform with feet on a rock. Bird poop of white and yellow colour had trickled down the sides of the statue, which I found gave it a nautical feel. The base of the statue had "The Gordon Highlanders" stylized in all caps in gold lettering, the head-on deer, and clan motto ("Bydand" - stylized in all caps) as well as some dedication information. Two vibrant wreaths were placed at the base of statue in honour of the clan's service.

We visited Craigievar Castle as part of a round trip from Stonehaven to Huntly Castle, the Castle…read moreis very nice, the Tour was interesting and the Guide give some good insight about the history and the different rooms

I love the style of this wee castle. I'd love to build a tower like it to live in.read more

Walking down Dunbar Street in Old Aberdeen the morning of Sunday 7 July 2019, I noticed a building…read moretucked back a from the street with the walk-in open. I had been exploring the area on foot and had encountered mostly residences up to then. Interested in what it was, I made my way inside the half wall topped with a fence. A red door had stone raised lettering above the door that read "St Machars Hall A.D. 1886" with the name of the hall stylized in all caps. The raised lettering had weathered a bit, so I found getting closer useful for reading it. From the front, the building looked like a tomb to me, so I dubbed it St Machars Tomb for my personal log. To the left of the red door was a bulletin with some posted information.