Aberdeen Southampton Train

The city of Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, behind Edinburgh and Glasgow. Aberdeen has a long sandy beach between the two rivers, the Dee and the Don, which turns into high sand dunes north of the Don stretching as far as Fraserburgh. To the south of the Dee are steep rocky cliff faces with only minor pebble and shingle beaches in deep inlets. A number of granite outcrops along the south coast have been quarried in the past, making for spectacular scenery and good rock-climbing.

The city is sometimes known as the Granite City, the Grey City and the Silver City with the Golden Sands. These are all reference to the local quarried grey granite incorporated into Aberdeen's buildings. The discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970's it has also been known as the Oil Capital of Europe. The traditional industries of fishing, paper-making, shipbuilding, and textiles have been overtaken by the oil industry and Aberdeen's seaport. Aberdeen Heliport is one of the busiest commercial heliports in the world and the seaport is the largest in the north-east of Scotland. North Sea oil production has declined from its peak but the industry still supports around 47,000 jobs locally.

The port and university city of Southampton is located on the south coast of England in the county of Hampshire. Known as the cruise capital of Europe, Southampton plays host to over four million visitors a year and boasts an impressive cultural offering, from museums, music venues and art galleries, to award winning parks and the general hustle and bustle of a diverse city with fantastic shopping facilities. There are many attractions in the city to enjoy including the Southampton City Art Gallery. The internationally renowned gallery has a permanent collection spanning eight centuries which tells the story of western art from the Renaissance to the present day. The core of the collection is 20th century and contemporary British art. The gallery also offers high quality exhibitions ranging from painting, sculpture and drawing, to photography and film, as well as displays that change regularly to ensure new experiences with each visit. Located a few miles from Southampton is Beaulieu where you will find the world famous National Motor Museum including BOND IN MOTION, the world's largest official collection of James Bond Vehicles. There is also the World of Top Gear featuring vehicles from the popular TV programme, On Screen Cars to see the flying Ford Anglia from Harry Potter, and Palace House.