People looking for inspiration for great autumn walks around Aberdeen as part of National #GetOutside Day on Sunday should check out a series of trail guides produced by the City Council.
The series of seven trail guides of Aberdeen and two maps of popular hills feature historical and natural gems around the city, and the family-friendly guides and maps are designed to encourage people to walk around our beautiful and historic city by the sea. Many of the trails can also be cycled.
National #GetOutside Day has been organised by Ordance Survey and is designed to encourage an active outdoor lifestyle to helps people live longer, stay younger and enjoy life more.
The city’s trail guides include Aberdeen Coastal Trail, People & Places Trail, Sculpture & Curios Trail, Boundary Stones Trail, Aberdeen Granite Trail, Old Aberdeen Trail, and Aberdeen Maritime Trail. The maps are for Kincorth Hill, known locally as The Gramps, and Brimmond Hill, and feature the local landscape as well as historical features and nature. Both hills also offer great views of the city.
Items in the trail guides featured include where to see dolphins from the shore, the Andy Scott sculpture Poised, stones marking the boundary of the ancient city, a plaque for a man who served with Bonnie Prince Charlie and later a revolutionary commander in the American Civil War, the historic village-within-the-city of Footdee designed by the same architect who designed Balmoral Castle, how Union Bridge was built by stones dressed by hand and allowed Union Street to be built above the unsanitary conditions of the older burgh, and a cathedral which dates from the 13th century.
An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: “We want to encourage people to get out and walk or cycle around Aberdeen and hope these trail guides help folk to get out there and learn what’s in the city.
“We have an abundance of history, nature, and stunning buildings for people to discover in a city which is very walkable so we hope these trail guides give people some inspiration for some great autumn walks as part of National #GetOutside Day.”
The trail guides and maps are available through the links www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/trails and www.visitabdn.com, and limited numbers of paper versions are available at Marischal College, the Town House on Queen Street, and the tourist information centre on Union Street. The digital versions of the trail guides will be updated.
The trail guides project is jointly funded by Smarter Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP) and Civitas Portis. The SCSP funding is granted by the Scottish Government and administered by Paths for All, which is a charity that aims to help create a happier, healthier Scotland where physical activity improves the quality of life and wellbeing for all. Civitas Portis is a European Union funded project that aims to implement sustainable mobility measures, in participating port cities, to improve urban attractiveness.
The GetOutside campaign is aimed at everyone, just as the outdoors is for everyone, with help to discover the best Britain has to offer and the benefits that outdoor activity can bring. More information and further inspiration is available at https://getoutside.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/.
Brig O Balgownie