Night At The Museum

As part of a Europe-wide event and inspired by Ben Stiller's recent film Night At The Museum, last night two of the museums around Aberdeen threw open their doors to the public for an evening of family friendly activities. Alongside bat detectors and glowlamp making I …

Ben Avon (Ben A'an)

Distance: 22 miles; Time: 9 hours; OS Map: 43, 36, 37

Under leaden skies nineteen brave walkers of the hills (including a good number of guests) were deposited at Keiloch, just short of Braemar, for a short stroll over (or around) Ben Avon (or A'an to confuse any …

Lochnagar and Glas-Allt-Shiel

For the third time in four weeks Lochnagar featured on my trek through the hills of Scotland. This time it was to be a relatively short hike from the car park, to the summit of the mountain and then down via Glas Allt to Glas-Allt-Shiel on the banks of Loch Muick. …

Michael Marra at the Blue Lamp

Thanks to a tip-off from hillwalking compadre David, I headed down to the Blue Lamp on Sunday for a thoroughly delightful night of Scottish folk music courtesy of Interesting Music Productions and the Aberdeen Folk Club.

The Blue Lamp is a nice little venue just north …

Three Mounth Munros

Distance: 20 miles; Time: 8 hours; OS Map: 43/44

Yesterday was only going to be a moderately ambitious day, with one or possibly two Munros climbed from Braemar. However in the end I did an epic traverse of the Mounth, adding Lochnagar to my journey and exiting several …

Lochnagar

Lochnagar, 22km, 8.5 hours, OS Map 44

Given that April is now underway, the daffodils are blooming everywhere and the days are longer and lighter you'd perhaps think that deep snow and biting winds would not be expected on the summit of a Scottish mountain no more than …

Now Powered by Apple

Ever since my desktop computer started on the slow spiral into memory saturation a few weeks ago I've been looking to replace it with something new, shiny and portable. In the five or so years since I bought my computer a good deal has happened, particularly in my move …

Night Becomes Electric

The May 2008 issue of Sky & Telescope provides interesting coverage of one of the more whimsical projects associated with the International Year of Astronomy: The World At Night. According to their website TWAN "is a new program that will produce and present a …

Kate Rusby, Aberdeen Music Hall

It was my first visit to the very impressive Aberdeen Music Hall, but not my first time seeing the lovely Kate Rusby live. The last time was at the Darlington Arts Centre and it has to be said that tonight's was something of a step up from that. Breathy smoke drifted …

Close Encounters Innit?

I was watching the much anticipated return of Doctor Who earlier on this evening when d

Offshore Experience

I just got back from my first interesting taste of the offshore life. I spent three nights on a fixed platform surveying for a project I am currently working on. I'll be honest and say I'd heard a few horror stories about life offshore but for me this experience was a …

The Twilight Sad Live

The Twilight Sad, as portrayed on their debut album Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters are an intriguing, oftentimes melancholic proposition. Their vast songs, built up through intricate layers of guitar, take you on a trip into the brooding psyche of lead singer …

The Fungle Road

Today I went on my second outing with the Stocket Hillwalking Club. The day started at 8am with quite a squeeze onto a tiny bus with 26 other keen walkers. We had a somewhat bumpy ride out south and west of Aberdeen to the remote Glen Esk where after a cry of "stop!" …

Active Galactic Nuclei - A Talk by Prof. Ian Robson

Professor Ian Robson, Director of the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh, kindly came up to Aberdeen this evening to give an interesting and engaging talk on a specialist subject of his: Active Galactic Nuclei.

Moving from the study of galaxies with unusually …

Glen Callater and Carn An Tuirc

With the forecast promising everything from clear skies right through to blizzards and howling winds I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I set out for Braemar this morning. In the end I got a later bus as the winds were ferocious at 6:30am in Aberdeen and this …

Glen Callater and Carn An Tuirc

With the forecast promising everything from clear skies right through to blizzards and howling winds I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I set out for Braemar this morning. In the end I got a later bus as the winds were ferocious at 6:30am in Aberdeen and this …

Pannanich Hills

Distance: 11 Miles; OS Map: 43

Yesterday morning saw me over on the other side of Aberdeen at just after 7am to find the meeting point of the Stocket Hillwalking Club. After wandering the streets before enquiring at the local newsagent (and stocking up on Dairy Milk …

Laura Veirs at The Tunnels

Despite sub-zero temperatures and a slowly weakening immune system it wasn't too difficult to leave the warmth of home and head down to the Tunnels for a relaxed night of music from a couple of artists all the way from the North-West of America. It was a very civilised …

Glen Dye and Clachnaben

Distance: 6 miles; Time: 2hrs 50mins; OS Map; 43

I went walking today with a friend from work. After a slight problem with a closed road and diversion, we got to the car park at Glen Dye by 10 this morning. Under slightly hazy skies but ridiculously mild air we crossed …

Stars at Moshulu

Supported by Apostle of Hustle

After a truly dedicated wait outside on a cold and occasionally rainy evening, the doors finally opened at just before 8pm with Apostle of Hustle (also from "Canadia") taking to the stage to a scattering of people at around half past. It …