It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (pt 1)

The nights are drawing in and the weather has taken a definite turn to the chilly side (it's winter wooly weather folks) 

But Aberdeen is still sparkling!

Thanks to the beautiful 35ft Norwegian Spruce which was gifted by the people of Stravanger the Medieval Castlegate looks very cheery and festive on these cold dark evenings.

New for 2016! Local chainsaw wood carver, Garry Shand has been commissioned to create 12 unique wooden sculptures based on the popular carol The Twelve Days of Christmas. Located across the city centre, this mini-trail is sure to be a popular challenge for all ages.  Always up for a challenge, Donny the Sheep and I are going to find out where they all are and snap a few pics for the album.

We saw the first one (A Partridge in a Pear Tree) beside the tree in Castlegate.

To find out more about Castlegate and its long and sometimes bloody history Hidden Aberdeen operate tours of the area, they say " Castlegate hides many secrets – it was once the place of public execution, the ‘Gibbet Stane’ reveals the site of the gallows; it was the market place, made more genteel by the addition of the 17th century stone mercat cross; many famous citizens lived here and caused great trouble, including men like the 5th Earl Marischal, George Keith, who founded Marischal College; Gilbert Menzies of Pitfodels, who had a great town house next to the Keiths, and who, like many members of his family, was Provost of Aberdeen and ‘Skipper’ Scott, a famous sea captain and Jacobite, who entertained the Old Pretender, James III, in his house which was later to become the home of dancing master, Thomas Peacock of Peacock’s Close.  Come along with us and discover more about the old Castlegate."

We are so glad that it is now a place for celebration and community gatherings.