Sporting her snazzy bright orange Aberdeen Adventurer sunglasses, the Chamber’s very own Rebecca Henderson climbs aboard the open-top bus to join tourists from around the world on the hit tour of the city.
In its first eight weeks since the Aberdeen Adventurer took its first trip, over 3,000 people hopped on board to explore the city from the best seats in town. With such hype behind it, I decided it was time I hopped on myself.
I'll admit, I’m not usually the bus type. But with a free afternoon, blue skies and an itch to see Aberdeen beyond my usual haunts, I decided to play tourist in my own city.
I was joined by my Chamber chum Amy, as well as Millie and Gavin from Our Union Street to help capture our journey. As we waited on Broad Street, the bright orange bus turned the corner and a wave of passengers poured off the top deck. I knew we were in for a treat.
“You’ll have the best time,” one passenger said as she rocked her orange shades and departed the bus.
Living the Aber-dream from the top deck
The four of us hopped on, grabbed our earphones, slid on our sunglasses, and climbed to the top deck – ready to see Aberdeen in all its glory.
And honestly? It delivered.
“There’s no other city quite like it,” one passenger whispered behind me, and I couldn’t help but agree.
As we cruised through Aberdeen, I realised how much history I pass every day without noticing. There’s the Music Hall, built in 1822, where everyone from Led Zepplin to David Bowie once stood. There’s Old Aberdeen, which is nestled just a few minutes from the city centre and of course Pittodrie Stadium – home to the Dandy Dons.
The iconic ground has seen over a century of passion and unforgettable football moments, and of course is the home stadium of the Scottish Cup champions - a triumph which saw 100,000 fans venture into the city centre to celebrate the team’s historic win. Just outside the stadium stands the statue of Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary manager who led Aberdeen to glory domestically and in Europe in the 80s. As the bus passes by, you can’t help but feel a sense of pride.
And you can see everything on this journey.
One of the highlights was the windy sweep down to the beach. It felt like a postcard come to life and it’s right on our doorstep. Just a few minutes later, we were passing Footdee, or “Fittie” to the locals. The hidden fishing village of brightly painted cottages is tucked away like a secret only Aberdonians know about.
What do passengers think of the Granite City?
Behind me were a pair of Canadians from Vancouver who, as it turned out, were en route to Shetland.
“We are visiting my grandparents who are buried in Shetland and Aberdeen is our first stop on the way.
“The bus is the best way for my father and I to see the city, and it’s really convenient.
“It’s a beautiful place and we’ve used hop-on hop-off buses before, so we thought why not!”
As the bus stopped at Fittie, we even gave them some recommendations as they hopped off.
A tourist in my own city
I’ve lived in Aberdeen by entire life, but I’d never really seen it like this. And I learned even more about Aberdeen’s hidden gems thanks to the multilingual commentary which was recorded by Zara Louise Kennedy.
Zara said it’s “been great” seeing the Adventurer come to life.
“Seeing how excited everyone on the creative team was about bringing this to life really made me want to create something that’s not just fun for tourists, but also engaging and accessible for the people of Aberdeen.
“City bus tours can actually be such a great way for locals to learn more about where they’re from, so I really wanted to do that justice, while still learning loads myself along the way.”
Zara has learned a lot about Scottish history as she’s also the voice of the new Big Bus Tours in Edinburgh and the Stirling Sightseer, but there were a few things about Aberdeen that surprised her.
“I was honestly really surprised by how far back a lot of Aberdeen’s famous landmarks go,” she continued.
“The Brig O’Balgownie dates all the way back to the 1300s, and the site of St Machar’s Cathedral has been occupied since as early as 580! In today’s high-tech world, it’s easy to forget just how much history places like Scotland hold, so it’s been amazing to look back and learn more about where it all started.
“I also had no idea there were over 30 different Aberdeens around the world, which I thought was such a fun fact. Scotland’s own being, of course, ‘the silver city with the golden sands’.
“I think my favourite part of the whole process was honestly just experiencing the tour itself. Getting to sit on the bus, listen to the narration, and see all the places I’d talked about, plus watching how excited other people were to see the bus in action, really brought everything full circle for me.”
There was a real mix of passengers on board, including locals who, like us, were keen to see Aberdeen from a different perspective.
One of them said: “The bus is good for locals like us to appreciate what we have, and I think we should be encouraging people to use it.
“You see the city from a different angle and you’re learning about things you didn’t know.
“It’s a great addition to the city and it’s great for tourists as well.”
Why you should give the Aberdeen Adventurer a go
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Whether you're a visitor or a local like me who thinks they’ve seen it all, the Aberdeen Adventurer proves there's always more to discover.
Tickets can be bought on the bus from the driver or as a mobile ticket in the app (just search ‘Xplore Dundee’ in your app store).
The tour bus is a partnership between Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, VisitAberdeenshire, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen Inspired and McGills Xplore.
The Granite City is set to host tens of thousands of visitors this year with The Tall Ships and Offshore Europe and the Aberdeen Adventurer is the perfect option for corporate days out.
Find out more about the Aberdeen Adventurer, including ticket prices and stops, at www.xploredundee.com/aberdeen-adventurer