Carlisle Aberdeen Train

Located in Cumbria, the city of Carlisle is the county town and administrative centre of Cumbria in north west England. The cities lies at the confluence of the rivers Eden, Caldew and Petteril and is roughly 10 miles to the south of the border with Scotland. The transformation brought about by the Industrial Revolution started the transformation of Carlisle into a densely populated mill town. Combined with its strategic location it led to the town becoming an important railway town.

Nicknamed the Great Border City, Carlisle today is the main cultural, commercial and industrial centre for north Cumbria and is home to the main campuses of the University of Cumbria and a variety of museums and heritage centres. Carlisle has a compact historic centre with a castle, museum, cathedral and semi-intact city walls. The former law courts or citadel towers which now serve as offices for Cumbria County Council were designed by Thomas Telford. The city centre is largely pedestrianised and The Lanes shopping centre is home to around 75 stores.

The University of Cumbria has a four campuses in Carlisle on Fusehill Street, Brampton Road, Paternoster Row and Newcastle Street. The university provides a wide range of degree courses in higher education such as Applied Computing, Applied Psychology, Art, Business, Law, Media, Social Work and Teacher Education.

Located in north east Scotland, The Granite City, as Aberdeen is sometimes known as, is a hustling and bustling city but is also known for its wide range of parks, gardens and outdoor activities for those who crave city life coupled with the great outdoors. The city has a great beach, ideal for surfing and kit boarding as well as wildlife watching at Torry Battery. There is also BMX cycling facilities and a rock climbing wall. Duthie Park is Aberdeen's most famous park. Within the park are the David Welch Winter Gardens, which house many exotic plants including the largest collection of cacti in Britain. The park is an ideal setting for the perfect day out with the family, with activities from boating in the ponds to cricket on the lawns. Aberdeenshire has many Nature Reserves and one of the most popular is Glen Tanar Natural Nature Reserve located in a beautiful glen at the heart of Royal Deeside. At the reserve you might be lucky enough to glimpse a red squirrel or a Scottish crossbill might be above your head as you wander through ancient trees. You might also see the silvery flash of a salmon powering upstream from the banks of the river.