Aberdeen Salford 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.

Salford, located in the north west of England, has a secret that many visitors don't realise - 60% of the city is green space! The city has three green flag parks, five local nature reserves and over 20 public parks, all of which offer visitors plenty of things to do and see. You can explore one of the beautiful country parks such as Clifton Country Park's meadows, play hide and seek in Worsley Woods, take a leisurely stroll at Blackleach Country Park, or enjoy a brass band concert with an ice cream in the summer at Victoria Park. If you prefer a more wild approach, try some real wilderness at Chat Moss. If you are looking for a taste of Salford's past, visit Ordsall Hall which is a formerly moated Tudor mansion, the oldest parts of which were built during the 15th century. The mansion is located in the Ordsall area of Salford and was the family seat of the Radclyffe family, who lived in the house for more than 300 years. The hall was the setting for William Harrison Ainsworth's 1842 novel Guy Fawkes, written around the plausible although unsubstantiated local story that the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was planned in the house.