Sunday 9th August Optional Visits Programme

For registrants who would like to discover more  about the City of Aberdeen, or one of Aberdeenshire’s most famous castles two optional self-guided activities have been arranged.

Option 1  Visit the City of Aberdeen  £10 per person max 80 places

Why not explore some of the sights, buildings, sculpture, art and history of Aberdeen.  
A number of self-guided trails can be followed which will point out many items of interest. 

   

Coach will depart from P&J Live at 10.30am to the city centre drop off at Guild Street, close to Union Square shopping centre and the railway station.
Maybe visit some of Aberdeen’s free museum’s open from 11.00am 

• The Maritime Museum introduces visitors to Aberdeen’s long history and relationship with the sea
• Provost Skene’s House, named for one of Aberdeen’s famous historic Provosts, this museum looks at famous Aberdonians past and present and their contributions to our world
• Aberdeen Art Gallery - a gallery noted for its fine collection of international and Scottish art

Return coach to P&J Live will depart from Guild Street at 3.30pm

Option 1  Visit the City of Aberdeen  £10 per person (max 80 places). Option 1 booking

Option 2  Visit Dunnottar Castle  £30 per person max 80 places

Visit Dunnottar Castle - one of Scotland’s most famous ruined castles used as film sets for Game of Thrones, Frankenstein, Mel Gibson’s version of Hamlet and the inspiration for DunBroch Castle in Disney’s animated film Brave. 
https://www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk/

Coach will depart from P&J Live at 10.30am for the 30-40 minute drive to Dunnottar Castle.  The self-guided visit will include entrance to the ruins of the castle.  

Perched atop a 160 foot rock and surrounded on three sides by the North Sea, these dramatic and evocative cliff-top ruins were once an impregnable fortress of the Earls Marischal, once one of the most powerful families in Scotland.
Steeped in history, this romantic and haunting ruin is a photographer’s paradise, a history lover’s dream and an iconic tourist destination for visitors the world over.

Accessibility Warning
●    This tour should only be undertaken by individuals who have a good level of physical fitness.  There are no lifts or ramps available outside or inside the Castle.
●    Dunnottar Castle was built with a strong defensive position and sits on an isolated rock separated from the mainland. As a result, it has limitations for customers with mobility issues.
●     From the car park, the cliff top is reached by walking approx. 300m along an earth path.  There are a large number of steps leading down and back up into the Castle which may prove challenging.
●    The main entrance to the Castle is accessed from the cliff top via 180 concrete steps of even construction followed by approx. 40m of earth path and then 38 uneven steps up to the entrance door which remains open during opening hours.
●    From the main entrance there are 17 uneven steps leading from the entrance door to the ticket kiosk. A number of these are inlaid with pebbles which can be slippery when wet.
●    From the ticket kiosk to the interior area of the Castle there are 48 steps of uneven construction.
●    Within the Castle grounds and ruins there is a mixture of cobble stones, earth and grass under foot. It is generally uneven and there are numerous steps and ground of varying levels.
●    Some parts of the grounds and ruins have low lighting.

Benches are placed throughout the Castle to allow visitors to pause and rest while they explore the historic ruins.
The toilet facility inside the Castle has 3 cubicles, 2 for women and 1 for men, all are standard sized cubicles.
Lunch.   Located next to the car park, C&L Catering serves locally sourced refreshments, including hot and cold drinks, snacks and hot food.  Please note that refreshments are not available to purchase inside the Castle itself.
The return journey to P&J Live will leave at approximately 3.15pm

Option 2  Visit Dunnottar Castle  £30 per person (max 80 places). Option 2 booking