Aberdeen Newport 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.

Located on the Pembrokeshire coast in South Wales lies the town of Newport which has retained its charm and laid back way of life and is a popular destinations for visitors wishing to escape the excesses of modern life. Newport is a town of two halves, the streets around Market Street and the area around the Parrog. Market Street was once wide enough to accommodate market stalls but has since been narrowed with the enclosure of front gardens at many of the properties. Just over 5 miles to the east of Newport is Castell Henllys, a reconstructed Iron Age hill fort complete with roundhouses and other buildings, built in exactly the same place as the Iron Age buildings as identified by archaeological excavations. Also a few miles from Newport to the south east is Pentre Ifan, an exposed Neolithic burial mound on the hillside high above the village. The setting is magnificent with Carn Ingli and Newport Bay as a backdrop. The main shopping streets of Newport city centre are pedestrianised and include High Street, Newport Arcade, Market Arcade, Commercial Street, Skinner Street, Bridge Street, Upper Dock Street, Market Street, Griffin Street, Corn Street, Cambrian Road, Hill Street, Llanarth Street and John Frost Square.