Student Bloggers
A Taste of Scottish Culture
Date
February 2, 2016
One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things"
– Henry Mill
This past Monday (January 25) was Burns Night, which is a night that commemorates the Scottish poet Robert Burns. The resident hall that I stay at here in Aberdeen hosted a Burns Night with free food, including traditional Scottish food such as haggis, neeps and tatties. They also had the Scottish drink Irn Bru which is a type of soda that tastes just like bubblegum! This was my first time trying haggis and I have to say it was actually pretty good!
This weekend I took a train with a few of my friends to Stonehaven which is about 15 minutes away from Aberdeen, but still within Aberdeenshire. With breath-taking views, an ancient castle and the home of the famous deep-fried Mars bar, Stonehaven is definitely worth a visit! Because it was such a windy day, the Dunnottar Castle was actually closed, but it was still worth the long hike just to see the magnificent castle itself. You have to hike up a steep hill (so basically a mountain) to reach the castle and at the very top you can see a great view of the sea. The view on the climb up there was absolutely stunning!
After our exhausting but gorgeous walk to the castle, we returned to the main part of Stonehaven to eat lunch and wander the beautiful beach. We ate at a small café that served delicious fish & chips and then walked around the town where we found some interesting shops including a traditional Celtic music store and a fantastic chocolate shop filled with a variety of different sweets. We then found the shop that is known as the home of the deep-fried Mars bar. I have to say that it was definitely worth a try! It was so good!
In my next blog, I’ll be writing on what it’s like to be a student at the University of Aberdeen - from the classes and professors to housing and social life. Until next time!
-Melissa