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Ever considered a break in North East Scotland / Aberdeen? Perhaps not a destination that immediately springs to mind for a holiday but what a lovely place it is!  Yes, it is a long way (about 430 miles from Birmingham) but once past the dreaded M6 around Birmingham, the roads are good and the miles soon roll by. There is of course the alternative these days of flying using one of the cut price airlines flying from many of the regional airports. Many of these flights are priced at a level to make them a realistic possibility if you don’t fancy the drive but on this occasion we chose to take the car so as to have the convenience of it during our stay.

The reason for our short break in Aberdeen was to try out the Skene House Suites (see www.skene-house.co.uk) or more precisely, Skene House Whitehall – there are two other Skene House Suites in Aberdeen.  They are something of a fairly new concept for accommodation for the UK but one that is popular in America.  Basically, what you get instead of just a hotel room is a suite of rooms, either 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms which includes a large comfortable living room (with satellite TV) with a dining area, along with a fully fitted, well-equipped kitchen plus at least one bathroom (the larger suites having additional en-suite facilities). 

In this respect the suites are like when you stay in self-catering accommodation in that you have all the home comforts and the ability to cook or eat in if you choose. However, at the same time, they also have the advantages of a standard hotel room.  The suites are cleaned and serviced each day so there is none of  all that making beds and so on to be done and if you choose, you can take breakfast in the hotel breakfast room which ranges from a fairly simple basic Continental breakfast right through to a full Scottish cooked breakfast  to really set you up for the day. If you want, there is also a nice, very comfortable lounge that you can use.  You might think that there is not much point to this as you already have the living room in your suite but it is sometimes nice to get out as an alternative and to mix with the other guests. 

Here there is an ample supply of tea, coffee and “nibbles” available free of charge all day, along with a large selection of board games and again satellite TV. The adjacent “Honour” Bar is also available where very reasonably priced drinks can be purchased (£1.30 for a measure of whisky) with your first night drink being complimentary.

There is plenty of secure off road parking and even a very well tended pleasant garden to sit outside in, complete with a selection of children’s outdoor toys.
One tip, if you are a little infirm or unsteady on your feet, do mention it when you book so that you can be given a suitable ground floor suite as some are up several flights of stairs.

The suites are very good value, starting at only £69 per night for a 1 bedroom suite that sleeps 2 people (under £35 each per night). We were just using it as a short family break, for which it was ideal, but I was intrigued by some of the perhaps less conventional uses to which the suites are put. These ranged from various business uses, such as a place to hold business presentations or interviews / meetings, to using them as a place for brides to stay and get ready with their family and friends before their big day. 

The staff seemed prepared and very flexible in order to make any additional preparations that were necessary, such as arranging transport. Arrangements for large parties certainly didn’t seem to be a problem, as while we were there a party of over 40 Norwegians arrived, not that we would have known had we not seen them come in, as unlike a great many hotels the soundproofing was very good.

Skene House Whitehall is very conveniently located close to Union Street the main street in Aberdeen.  It is an easy walk to get there.  It has all the bustle and life that you would expect from a modern city with good shops, restaurants and nightlife.

This was my first trip to Aberdeen and I was very taken with it. Everywhere seemed very neat and tidy, for want of a better description, and although I’ve seen more beautiful cities that isn’t really what Aberdeen is all about. (although it has its fair share of  memorable buildings). The, albeit brief, impression that we got was of a city that had its own very distinct character, with a proud history, and a relaxed and comfortable attitude to todays modern way of life. Although in a modern city, we really felt we were “getting away from it all”.

Apart from all that Aberdeen itself has to offer, it is right at the heart of, and an excellent base from which to explore, the Grampian Highlands region, rightly famous for its whisky and castles. See www.aberdeen-grampian.com There are many incredible castles throughout the area, but few can be more amazing than Dunnottar Castle (see http://www.dunechtestates.co.uk/)

It is what I imagine would be many peoples idea of a fantasy ruined castle, in the most spectacular of settings on top of a rocky outcrop on the North Sea coast. Apparently it was used as the setting in Franco Zeffirelli's film version of "Hamlet" and you can certainly see why. We combined a visit here along with a call in at nearby Stonehaven. This is one of many picturesque fishing villages up and down the coast and only about 15 miles easy drive from Aberdeen. 

Apart from the pretty harbour area, it also boasts a good golf course (something else the region as a whole has in abundance) along with Europes only outdoor heated seawater swimming pool, ideal for when the weather is warm but the North Sea is not!

Due to only having a limited amount of time on this visit (I’m sure we’ll be back) we only touched on the great many things to see and do in Aberdeen and the surrounding region. Another thing that occurred to me, though, was that while nice sunny weather is almost always welcome wherever you are, here was an area that you could come to that would not be as dependant as most on the weather being kind. A break at any time of year would be good with each of the seasons offering a different perspective; even a wild wet windy day would be impressive with some of the spectacular scenery, while I would imagine winter to be very beautiful in the nearby mountains and ski centres.

For more information on the Skene House Suites :

CLICK HERE to instantly check current availability and prices

For more information on Aberdeen and the Grampian Highlands :

www.aberdeen-grampian.com