I arrived in Scotland at the beginning of April to work on an acquisition for GE. Work wise, that is about as interesting as that part of my life gets so I will refrain from any more details. While my hours out of the office are few and far between, I have tried to make the most of my time abroad. The assignment placed me in Aberdeen, the Granite City, an oil and university town on the East Coast of Scotland with a population of academics, oil tycoons, fisherman and golfers nearing 200,000. Also known as Aberdeenshire, Moray and Grampian this fertile area provides access to the North Sea oil reserves, is the home of the start of the “Whiskey Trail” and hosts one of Queen’s castles/summer retreats, Balmoral Castle. Aberdeen sits quite close to the artic circle, almost as North as Juneau Alaska. This provides up to 18 hours of daylight in mid July and as few as 6 in the winter. Like most of the UK, the weather patterns bring wet and cloudy weather most of the year, with peak temperatures reaching only the low 80s even in the hottest summer months. 
More on Aberdeen. With the ever increasing demand and price for oil, Aberdeen has been the beneficiary of much wealth. While many of the homes look identical with their single story gray granite exterior, the interiors are often very elegant and show most of the affluence. Union Street, the main viaduct through town is dotted with fine restaurants, pubs, clubs (more on this later) art galleries, department stores and of course more than enough fish and chips restaurants to clog even the most congealed American arteries.
The city hosts a year round “fun park” called “fun beach” along the coast, fully equipped with a Ferris wheel, bowling alley, and a plethora of crappy American restaurants. The water is cold, but that doesn’t stop wet suit laden surfers from catching the five to ten foot waves of the North Sea. Other recreational aspects, besides the notorious drug and prostitution scene (a’hem), are golf, golf, golf, drinking single malts, golf and more golf. Everywhere there is a golf course, all in traditional links format with sand traps that gobble balls faster than TPG Sawgrass island green and rough that looks like sandpaper to a termite. The courses meander along the rocky coastline, each hole more scenic and deadly to your handicap than the last.
The local football club, the Aberdeen Dons, sit third in the Scottish Premier League (SPL) behind perennial champions Celtic and Rangers. I was lucky enough to attend a match at the tail end of the season while births to Europe for the next year were still up for grabs. Aberdeen played lackluster and lost, but I won as I added a glut of swear words and catchy derogatory phrases all loaded and shot through a thick Scottish accent to my repertoire. BAAAAARNE, YER A WAY-ST-A SPAA-CE, YUR CRUZ-IN FER A BRUZ-IN.
Last and not least, two of my favorite pastimes, both of which Scotland does well; clubbing and drinking good alcohol. For those who don’t know (shame on you), Scotland is home to Scotch, the traditional whiskey brewed all around the county. Many of the most well known scotch distilleries are within a two hour radius of Aberdeen in the Speyside and Highland areas. Most notably are Glenlivet, Macallan, Glenmorangie, Dalmore, and Glenfiddich. It has been a great joy learning the delicacies of single malt scotches (blend scotch is an abomination). Tours of the distilleries have been closed until May, I plan to take one soon.
Clubbing may be the other national pastime besides sipping single malts. In the past five years, many of the churches in the centers of Scottish and English towns have been converted to night clubs. If heavy boozing, scantly clad women, names like Soul, Babylon, and Priory and 3am closing times don’t get the sacrilegious juices flowing, the DJ spinning on the pulpit may put you over the top. Heathens!
I am still looking to purchase my first kilt, photos to come.
