beautiful scenery in the world

aberdeenshire city

In addition to the castle and whisky trails, Aberdeen and Grampian offer coastal, stone circle and victorian heritage trails.

Coastal Trail - The trail takes in over 165 miles of unspoilt coastline and will take the tourist on a stunning journey featuring some of the North East of Scotland’s most breathtaking sights. Starting at St Cyrus and following the coastline all the way to Findhorn, the trail visits some of the small coastal communities of the North East as well as craggy clifftops, secret coves, sandy beaches, secluded harbours and bays and a whole range of tourist attractions such as museums and visitor centres. For more information visit www.aberdeen-grampian.com

Stone Circle Trail - The North East of Scotland has an impressive history and heritage and this can be seen in the many stone circles, standing stones, Pictish ruins and centuries old cairns. Scotland’s colourful past is recorded in these amazing sites that have been linked to the Bronze age, Romans, Picts, Grampian’s early agriculture as well as showing ancient forts, burial grounds and religious buildings. Acting as a starting point for the Trail, the Archeolink is a multi-award winning visitor attraction that takes visitors on a journey from the Mesolithic age to the days of the Roman marches. Featuring indoor and outdoor activities, the Centre has something for everyone and is a great starting point for the Stone Circle Trail. For more information on the Archeolink visit www.archeolink.co.uk. For more information on the Stone Circle Trail visit www.aberdeen-grampian.com.

The Victorian Heritage Trail - The trail takes tourists on a grand tour of Queen Victoria’s favourite sights and locations and features a wide range of attractions that will leave the visitor with a lasting impression of the country and it’s rich history. Taking in two distilleries, the trail also offers impressive castles, ancient kirks, notable bridges and rivers, viewpoints, walks and numerous interesting towns and villages as well as the renowned Cairngorms National Park, where Scotland’s wildlife can be seen in their natural habitat. Whether visiting in the summer, winter or seasons in between, the trail will provide some of the most breathtaking sights and attractions Scotland has to offer.

THE GREEN TOURISM
The AECC is part Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS). The scheme focuses on reducing the negative impact of business activities on the environment. The business areas covered are in compliance with legislation, management, communication to clients through website and staff through emails, energy efficiency and renewables, solid waste, improving public transport and promotion of walking and cycling, water efficiency and limiting pollution, purchasing of environmentally friendly and local goods and services and increasing biodiversity.

Why the AECC is a ‘Green Meeting’ Venue:
Events organised electronically as much as possible
Public transport easily accessible
Delegates given energy saving and recycling advice on arrival
Recycling facilities available
Most food and drink suppliers are local, cutting down on food miles
Eco-gifts are given to delegates
Low energy light bulbs with reflectors in all meeting rooms
Building Management System for effective heating throughout.



Wildlife @ the AECC

Birds such as oyster catchers, wood pigeons and pheasants have been spotted as well as animals like weasels and even roe deer. The grounds comprise of areas of landscaped planting as well as wild and overgrown areas towards the rear with species such as willow herb, buddleia and lavender (beneficial for pollen seeking invertebrates), thistles, foxgloves, clover, cow parsley and ivy. Ground covering plants are beneficial for foraging animalsNative trees planted include Alnus glutinosa (alder), Betula pendula (silver birch) and many more.

Local Biodiversity
Nearby Balmedie and Donmouth Nature Reserve are locations which demonstrate significant biodiversity. Balmedie is a beach and dune system north of the city of Aberdeen. The long and wide beach of clean golden sand is bordered by the 5th largest sand dune system in Britain which stretches 14 miles. The dunes are a substantial area of stable grassland where the principal vegetation is marram grass. They support a large array of wildlife and are regarded as a site of special scientific interest. The beach is sandy and over the years has won a number of awards including a seaside award in 2006 and 2007.
Donmouth Nature Reserve - Where the River Don meets the sea, beside the A92 a few kilometres north of the city centre, the estuary in the Donmouth LNR gives excellent scope for seeing waders, terns and seabirds. Sandwich, common and Arctic terns fish here in summer, with little and black tern also recorded. Skuas come by in late summer, which is also a good time to watch out for little stint and other passage waders.
Coastal Aberdeenshire has recorded more than 225 species of birds while the nearby Forvie nature reserve is home to the largest colony of eider ducks in the UK. Schools of dolphins and porpoises can often be spotted from the coast which is also home to seals.

CASTLE
Aberdeenshire is famous for it rich castle tradition and is known as Scotland’s castle capital with over 70 castles and castle sites in the region.

Scotland’s amazing history can be experienced through some of the world’s most unique castles and visitors are encouraged to take in some of the rugged ruins, colossal castles and haunted halls the North East has to offer.

Scotland’s only Castle Trail can also be found in Aberdeenshire and features over 12 of the most magical castles from the last millennium. The trail is approximately 150 miles long and reveals some of the country’s Norman and Renaissance heritage.

A number of the castles on the trail can be found just a short drive out of the city itself with Drum and Tolquhan Castles and Castles Fraser and Crathes all near Aberdeenshire.

The most expensive hotel in the world

Top 10 Most Expensive Hotels:

No 10. Hotel Meurice

Belle Etoile Suite
$7,300 per night.

The most expensive Parisian hotel room is the Belle Etoile Suite at the Hotel Meurice, located on the Rue de Rivoli. The penthouse suite is reached via private elevator, where it opens onto a marble entry hall. The entire suite is decorated in a Charles X style - heavy drapery, intricate wood paneling with gilt edges, chandeliers and murals.

No 9. The Ciragan Palace Hotel Kempinski

Sultan's Suite
$7,500 per night

The Ciragan Palace Hotel Kempinski in Istanbul, located along the Bosporus, was originally the home of the last Ottoman sultans, and different incarnations of the property have been built (and torn down) since the 16th century. The building was bought by the Kempinski hotel group in 1986 and underwent a renovation in 1991.
Today, the hotel comprises two structures (the actual palace and the new hotel), and the Sultan's Suite is the most expensive room there.

No 8. Regent Beverly Wilshire

Penthouse Suite
$7,500 per night

The Regent Beverly Wilshire is the grande dame of L.A. hotels and happens to be the same age as the Academy Awards. Located on the 14th floor of the Beverly Wing, the 5,000-square-foot Penthouse Suite features three bedrooms, a wraparound balcony, a formal dining room, living room, kitchen and den, and is decorated with contemporary furniture. The master bathroom has floor-to-ceiling windows, two glass-enclosed showers, remote control toilet/bidet with a heated seat ...

No 7. The Fairmont Hotel

Penthouse Suite
$10,000 per night

The 6,000-square-foot Penthouse Suite at the Fairmont Hotel on San Francisco's Nob Hill takes up the entire eighth floor of the hotel and has three bedrooms, a dining room that holds 50 people, an eat-in kitchen and a two-story, domed library with a ceiling painted with the constellations.
There is also a billiards room covered floor-to-ceiling in Persian tiles, and four fireplaces inlaid with lapis lazuli. The bathroom fixtures are made of 24 karat gold, and a secret passageway is concealed behind the bookshelves on the library's second floor.

No 6. Hotel Cala di Volpe

Presidential Suite
$13,879 per night

The Costa Smeralda ("Emerald Coast"), on the eastern coast of Sardinia, became famous during the 1960s when the Aga Khan bought it and convinced his jet-set friends to start building villas and a yacht club on the beautiful but previously undeveloped island. The coast also served as the backdrop to the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me.

The split-level Presidential Suite has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and two sitting rooms. The highlight is the private, outdoor saltwater pool on the second floor. The style is rustic but luxurious, with whitewashed walls, exposed beams, thick down cushions and wooden accents. The bed frames are wrought iron, and the tiles are hand-painted ceramic. The suite also has its own gazebo and solarium, as well as a DVD library and Bang & Olufsen stereos.

No 5. Westin Excelsior

Villa La Cupola
$14,950 per night

Rome's "Villa La Cupola" suite within the Westin Excelsior has all things Roman and excessive - a cupola, a Pompeii-style Jacuzzi pool, frescoes and stained glass windows. Located on the fifth and sixth floor underneath the cupola of the hotel (which was made famous by Fellini's movies), the suite covers 6,099 square feet and has an additional 1,808 square feet of balconies and terraces. While it only has two bedrooms, five more can be joined to it.

The stained glass windows in the living room detail allegories of a mythological figure paired with a modern one, such as Atlas and Television, Hypnosis and Neurosis, Hermes and Marketing, and Hermaphrodite and Fashion. The downstairs also has a private kitchen, and the dining room features an antique Murano glass chandelier, a private wine cabinet and an antique mosaic-tile-covered dining room.

What really makes this suite over the top is a private cinema with Dolby surround sound. Such luxury makes even the private elevator that leads up to the fitness area and Jacuzzi - complete with mosaic floors, vaulted ceilings and frescoes - seem ordinary. The painted horizons on the frescoes were designed to match perfectly with the real Roman one.

No 4. The Plaza Hotel

Presidential Suite
$15,000 per night

The 7,802-square-foot suite covers nearly the entire 18th floor of the Plaza, with views overlooking Central Park. The walls are covered in silk, the reception area has a 10-foot-wide stained glass window and the hand-painted piano depicts scenes from the French countryside.

The suite has five bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms, two living rooms, a dining room, powder room and sauna. There are also three marble fireplaces, a terrace and a 2,000-bottle wine cellar (guests are charged extra for indulging). The Presidential Suite also comes with the use of a secretary/butler and the Plaza's chefs are at your disposal.

No 3. The Martinez Hotel

Presidential Suite
$18,500 per night

The Martinez Hotel in Cannes likes superlatives and bills itself as having the biggest, most expensive and only terraced penthouse suite on the Cote d'Azur. Perhaps some of this is Gallic swagger, but the price of the suites certainly makes them one of the most expensive in Europe. Both penthouse suites are 8,000 square feet and are decorated in the hotel's signature Art Deco style, with streamlined furniture, silk curtains and teak parquet floors.

While many of the hotel's rooms are painted in bright colors (peach, lime green), the penthouse suites are decorated in muted, understated tones (brown, cream and tan). Each suite has two bedrooms, a Turkish bath, kitchen, personal sauna and views of the Lerins Islands as well as the entire Bay of Cannes. The wraparound terrace is 2,000 square feet and can comfortably hold 100 people. It also has a Jacuzzi. Technophiles will appreciate the Bose plasma screen televisions and telephones and the DVD library. A private butler is on call 24 hours a day, and other amenities include use of a limousine, open bar and the option to join both suites into one grand apartment.

No 2. President Wilson Hotel

The Imperial Suite
$23,300 per night

At the sleek, modern President Wilson Hotel in Geneva, security takes as much precedence as luxury. Faster than you can say "Frette linens," the hotel's staff reassures guests that the security in the Imperial Suite is among the best in the world, ideal for celebrities or traveling heads of states who visit the United Nations headquarters next door at the Palais Wilson.

The Imperial Suite, which takes up the entire top floor of the hotel, is reached via a private elevator and has four bedrooms, all of which overlook Lake Geneva. The suite is decorated in a contemporary style, with marble and hardwood floors, and the bay windows overlook Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc. Off of the master bedroom is a dressing room as well as a study, and the suite has five bathrooms, all with mosaic marble floor, and a Jacuzzi and steam bath in the main bath. The living room has a billiards table, a library and a cocktail lounge with a view of the water fountain, and can accommodate 40 people. The dining room seats 26 people around an oval mahogany table. For the security-conscious or merely the paranoid, the Imperial Suite is also equipped with bulletproof windows and doors.

No 1. The Atlantis

Atlantis Bridge Suite
$25,000 per night

The Atlantis Bridge Suite has the distinction of being the most expensive hotel suite in the world - a whopping $25,000 a night. Found on Paradise Island, Bahamas. The Bridge Suite is located on top of a bridge that connects the two Royal Towers buildings, so it overlooks the entire resort and marina.

The ten-room suite is decorated in red, black and gold (lots of gold) and comes with its own butler, bar lounge and entertainment center as well as 12-foot ceilings. The master bedroom has a sitting area, his-and-hers closets, and hand-painted linens. The bathrooms have chaise lounges, marble baths, and dolphin fixtures. For those who are picky about their personal space, there are two separate master bathrooms. The kitchen also has its own entrance so the butler or cook never bothers you.
So, do you feel like spending $25,000 for one night?

Favaorite cuisine in Uzbekistan

One particularly distinctive and well-developed aspect of Uzbek culture is its cuisine. Unlike their nomadic neighbors, the Uzbeks have had a settled civilization for centuries. Between the deserts and mountains, in the oases and fertile valleys, they have cultivated grain and domesticated livestock. The resulting abundance of products has allowed the Uzbeks to express their strong tradition of hospitality, which in turn has enriched their cuisine.

The seasons, specifically winter and summer, greatly influence the composition of the basic menu. In the summer, fruit, vegetables and nuts are ubiquitous. Fruit grows in abundance in Uzbekistan - grapes, melons, watermelons, apricots, pears, apples, cherries, pomegranates, lemons, persimmons, quinces and figs. Vegetables are no less plentiful, including some lesser known species such as green radishes, yellow carrots, and dozen of pumpkin and squash varieties, in addition to the usual eggplants, peppers, turnips, cucumbers and luscious tomatoes.

The winter diet traditionally consists of dried fruit and vegetables, and preserves. Hearty noodle or pasta-type dishes are also common chilly weather fare.

In general, mutton is the preferred source of protein in the Uzbek diet. Fatty tailed sheep are prized not only for their meat and fat as a source of cooking oil, but for their wool as well. Beef and horsemeat are also consumed in substantial quantities. Camel and goat meat are less common.

Uzbek dishes are not notably hot and fiery, though certainly flavorful. Some of their principle spices are black cumin, red and black peppers, barberries, coriander, and sesame seeds. The more common herbs are cilantro (fresh coriander), dill, parsley, celeriac, and basil. Other seasonings include wine vinegar, liberally applied to salads and marinades, and fermented milk products.

The wide array of breads, leavened and unleavened, is a staple for the majority of the population. Flat bread, or "non", "lepyoshka" is usually baked in tandoor ovens, and served with tea, not to mention at every meal. Some varieties are prepared with onions or meat in the dough, others topped with sesame seeds or kalonji.

Central Asia has a reputation for the richness and delicacy of its fermented dairy products. The most predominant are katyk, or yogurt made from sour milk, and suzma, strained clotted milk similar to cottage cheese, which are eaten plain, in salads, or added to soups and main dishes, resulting in a unique and delicious flavor.

Plov or Osh, the Uzbek version of "pilaff" ("pilav"), is the flagship of Uzbek cookery. It consists mainly of fried and boiled meat, onions, carrots and rice; with raisins, barberries, chickpeas, or fruit added for variation. Uzbek men pride themselves on their ability to prepare the most unique and sumptuous plov. The oshpaz, or master chef, often cooks plov over an open flame, sometimes serving up to 1000 people from a single cauldron on holidays or occasions such as weddings. It certainly takes years of practice with no room for failure to prepare a dish, at times, containing up to 100 kilograms of rice.

Tea is revered in the finest of oriental traditions. It is offered first to any guest and there exists a whole subset of mores surrounding the preparation, offering and consumption of tea. Green tea is the drink of hospitality and predominates. Black tea is preferred in Tashkent, though both teas are seldom taken with milk or sugar. An entire portion of their food culture is dedicated solely to tea drinking. Some of these include samsa, bread, halva, and various fried foods.

The "chaykhana" (teahouse) is a cornerstone of traditional Uzbek society. Always shaded, preferably situated near a cool stream, the chaykhana is a gathering place for social interaction and fraternity. Robed Uzbek men congregate around low tables centered on beds adorned with ancient carpets, enjoying delicious plov, kebab and endless cups of green tea.

UZBEKISTAN CULTURE AND TRADITIONS

Culture of Uzbekistan is one of the brightest and original cultures of East. It is inimitable national music, dances and painting, unique national kitchen and clothes. The Uzbek national music is characterized as variety of subjects and genres. The songs and tool plays according to their functions and forms of usage can be divided into two groups: performed in the certain time and under the certain circumstances and performed at any time. The songs connected with customs and traditions, labor processes, various ceremonies, dramatized entertainment representations and games belong to the first group.

The Uzbek people is well-known for its songs. Koshuk - household song with a small diapason melody, covering one or two rows of the poetic text. The dancing character of a melody of this genre provides their performance in support of comic dances. "Lapar" is a dialogue-song. In some areas the term - lapar is applied to wedding songs "Ulan" (which is performed as a dialogue of man and women). Genre "yalla" includes two kinds of songs: a melody of a narrow range, and solo simultaneously with dance. National and professional poems of the poets of East are used as the texts for the songs. The special place in the Uzbek musical heritage occupy "dastans" (epic legends with lyric-heroic content). Also "Makoms"- are the basic classical fund of professional music of oral tradition.

The dances of uzbeks distinguish softness, smoothness and expressiveness of movements, easy sliding step, original movements on a place and on a circle.

The development of national painting began many centuries ago. At 16-17 centuries art of the manuscript and binding in Bukhara and some other urban centers has achieved significant success. The decorating of manuscript included refined calligraphy, performance by water paints and thin ornaments on fields. In Samarkand and especially in Bukhara the Central Asian school of a miniature has achieved a great success and were developed many different style directions. One of them, for example is connected with traditions of Behzod, which characterized with its gentle style of writing the letter and architectural elements.


National clothes
The Uzbek national clothes of the end of XX centuries remain constant up these days. The men in that time carried a direct cover shirts, bottom and top dressing gowns. The dressing gowns were very light and made from cotton wool. There were cuts on each side of dressing gown for convenience at walking. The trousers were made wide, of direct breed lent from top to bottom. Female clothes: dressing gowns, dress, "parandja"- also of wide breed.


Handicrafts
Culture, handicrafts and tourism are rapidly becoming inseparable partners. Local crafts are important elements of culture, and people travel to see and experience other cultures, traditions and ways of living. Crafts products form an important element of the purchases made by tourists, providing an important economic input to the local economy.

Applied art of Uzbeks has a wealth of variety when it comes to style, materials and ornamentation. Silk, ceramics and cotton weaving, stone and wood carving, metal engraving, leather stamping, calligraphy and miniature painting are some genres passed down from ancient times. Back in the past, each region had its own cultural and ethnic traditions the unique features of which were established by local guilds that have strengthened these characteristics through their art.

Uzbek craftsmen nowadays still practice ancient jewellery making techniques for cutting gemstones, grain filigree, granular work, engraving and enamelling, also they are trying to take into account fashion demands and styles.

Embroidery is one of the most popular trends of applied arts in Uzbekistan. Every city of Uzbekistan has its own unique features such as ornamentation, composition, colour range and stitching. The finest kind of embroidery, gold embroidery is still practised in Bukhara.

The art of carpet weaving is also a very ancient form of art throughout Asia and the East, and nowadays it can be found in some of the cities of Uzbekistan today. The art of wood carving is used and adapted in modern interior design. Carved and painted tables, stools, caskets, pencil boxes and bookstands are popular pieces of furniture among local people and tourists. The art of Miniature painting and calligraphy has been revived again in its traditional form as well as some modern variants. For example miniatures stamped on leather, painted on paper miniatures, small lacquered boxes, framed pictures, pencil boxes and many other ideas skilfully painted by masters can be found in Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan....

Uzbekistan is approximately the size of Morocco and has an area of 447,400 square kilometers (172,700 sq mi). It is the 56th largest country in the world by area and the 42nd by population.[11] Among the CIS countries, it is the 5th largest by area and the 3rd largest by population.[12]

Uzbekistan stretches 1,425 kilometers (885 mi) from west to east and 930 kilometers (578 mi) from north to south. Bordering Kazakhstan and the Aral Sea to the north and northwest, Turkmenistan to the southwest, Tajikistan to the southeast, and Kyrgyzstan to the northeast, Uzbekistan is not only one of the larger Central Asian states but also the only Central Asian state to border all the other four. Uzbekistan also shares a short border (less than 150 km) with Afghanistan to the south.

Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country; it is one of two doubly landlocked countries in the world, i.e., a country completely surrounded by landlocked countries – the other being Liechtenstein. Less than 10% of its territory is intensively cultivated irrigated land in river valleys and oases. The rest is vast desert (Kyzyl Kum) and mountains. The highest point in Uzbekistan is the Khazret Sultan, located at 4,643 meters (15,233 ft) above sea level, located in the southern part of the Gissar Range in Surkhandarya Province, on the border with Tajikistan, just north-west of Dushanbe (formerly called Peak of the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party).[12]

The climate in the Republic of Uzbekistan is continental, with little precipitation expected annually (100–200 millimeters, or 3.9–7.9 inches). The average summer high temperature tends to be 40 °C (104 °F), while the average winter low temperature is around −23 °C (−9 °F).[13]

Major cities include Bukhara, Samarqand, Namangan and the capital Tashkent.

Travelling to Ireland

Ireland is a presently one of the important country in the map of tourism. Besides being a major center in European business, culture, arts, technology, and science, the also boasts of rich culture and heritage. Traveling to Ireland include its famous government buildings, national museums, galleries, memorials, heritage structures, parks and gardens, shopping and entertainment zones and fine dining hubs, which makes it a roaring tourist destination. With a wonderful array of tourist attractions in Dublin, it caters to the interests of all.

Heritage Dathfarnham
The date of the foundation of the castle is uncertain, but research would suggest 1583 as the most likely date. The castle was built by Adam Loftus, an ambitious Yorkshire clergyman, who came to Ireland as chaplain to the Lord Deputy and quickly rose to become Archbishop of Dublin, Lord Chancellor of Ireland and was closely involved in the establishment of Trinity College. The castle has a very colourful and interesting history and visitors can view fine 18th century interiors by Sir William Chambers and James 'Athenian' Stuart. The castle is presented as a castle undergoing conservation and visitors can see tantalizing glimpses of layers of the castle's earlier existence uncovered during research


The National Botanic Garden
The National Botanic Gardens is noted for its fine plant collections holding over 15,000 plant species and cultivars from a variety of habitats from all around the world. Famous for its exquisitely restored and planted glasshouses, notably the Turner Curvilinear Range and the Great Palm House, both recipients of the Europa Nostra award for excellence in conservation architecture. Visitors can enjoy such features as the Herbaceous borders, rose garden, the alpine yard, the pond area, rock garden and arboretum. Conservation plays an important role in the life of the botanic garden and Glasnevin is home to over 300 endangered plant species from around the world including 6 species, which are already extinct in the wild.