Aberdeen Edinburgh Train

Sometimes referred to as The Granite City, Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city. Modern day Aberdeen's economy is strongly linked to the oil and gas fields of the North Sea. Traditionally, however, the city was involved in fishing, paper making and shipbuilding. The city has won the annual Britain in Bloom competition a record breaking ten times and also hosts the Aberdeen International Youth Festival which is a major international event which attracts up to 1,000 of the most talented young performing arts companies.

Buildings of note in the city include the Town and County Bank, the Music Hall, the Trinity Hall of the incorporated trades (which is now a shopping mall), the former office of the Northern Assurance Company and the National Bank of Scotland. All of these buildings are located on Union Street.

Situated next to each other are Victoria Park and Westburn Park. Victoria Park opened in 1871 and contains a conservatory used as a seating area and a fountain made of fourteen different granites, presented to the people by the granite polishers and master builders of Aberdeen. Opposite to the north is Westburn Park opened in 1901 which has large grass pitches and is widely used for field sports. There is also a large tennis centre with indoor and outdoor courts, a children's cycle track, play area and a grass boules lawn.

The historic city of Edinburgh is Scotland's capital city where its ancient past meets a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with an amazing backdrop. Visitors to Edinburgh can take in its stunning scenery, breathtaking architecture and fine food. The city is surrounded by a beautiful coastline and countryside in the nearby Lothians. The city is the world's festival capital, with the Edinburgh Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city sits atop a series of extinct volcanoes and rocky crags which rise from the flat landscape of the Lothians with the sheltered shoreline of the Firth of Forth to the north. The city skyline is dominated by Edinburgh Castle where, from its ramparts, visitors can gaze down on medieval lanes and elegant terraces that contain over a thousand years of history. On the night of 30 April the Beltane Fire Festival takes place on Calton Hill, involving a procession followed by scenes inspired by pagan old spring fertility celebrations. At the beginning of October each year the Dussehra Hindu Festival is also held on Calton Hill. 'Edinburgh,' said writer Robert Louis Stevenson, 'is what Paris ought to be'.