A Weekend in Peterhead: DAY 2
Join Megan Beaudry @megbeaudry as she rediscovered what Peterhead has to offer. In this blog Megan will take you through day 2 of her trip to Peterhead where she explored the town, whilst also enjoying some local cuisine.
Morning
I woke up in my lovely tartan decorated room at the Palace Hotel eagerly awaiting the day ahead.
We headed straight to the restaurant for our freshly cooked to order breakfast and ate while
admiring the uniquely decorated bar area.
Our first activity of the day was to explore The Peterhead Trail, a set of various free self-guided
walking routes that articulate the town’s rich history of smugglers, Jacobites, ghosts, witchcraft and
more! Since it was a beautiful sunny day, we opted for the longer 5.8km coastal route past
Buchanhaven so that we could soak in as much fresh sea air as possible. Seeing the massive
fishing boats in action, and the picturesque sandy beach are what made me fall in love with
Peterhead. I had no idea the largest town in Aberdeenshire was surrounded by so much natural
beauty!
You can dip in and out of the trail at any point to please your own schedule, so we took a couple
detours to drag it out longer to make the most of our morning and discover even more of the town.
We finished at the Fisher Jessie statue created by Andy Scott, the same sculptor responsible for
the famous Kelpies sculpture in Falkirk. This statue celebrates the lives of women in the fishing
community, which made it the perfect end to our coastal walk.
Afternoon
Lunch time brought us to Brewdog for homemade wood fired pizzas and a delicious cheeseboard. I love Brewdog’s laid back atmosphere and endless selection of beers. Located right beside The Arc, it is the perfect date spot - and they even have a deal that gives you pizza and a beer for only a tenner if you are seeing a movie afterwards!
After a nice bite to eat, we were off to the Peterhead Prison Museum - a place I had been wanting
to visit since moving to Scotland 4 years ago. On arrival, we were given a a headset that we could control and walk around the prison at our own pace.
This insider look at “Scotland’s Toughest Jail” was definitely eye opening. We got to see 125 years
worth of history - from how the cells evolved throughout the years, what happened during the
infamous riot in 1987, what the working conditions looked like, and even a peek at the brutal
punishments prisoners endured for bad behaviour. This does not feel like your normal museum
tour! I never thought I’d have the opportunity to walk through a real life prison, and will never forget
the eery feeling I had while listening to the stories. You won’t catch me committing a crime any time
soon!!!
Evening
Our penultimate stop on our weekend away was a visit to Bon Bon, a sweet shop in the town
centre. As soon as you open the door, you are in sugar heaven with shelves upon shelves filled
with colourful candies. I loved that there was a North American sweet section that allowed me to
pick up a couple goodies from home that you can’t find anywhere else in the UK! Warning: if you
have a sweet tooth, you will never want to leave! There sheer amount of pick n mix selection alone
is enough to make you swoon.
Finally, we picked up dinner for the drive home from Chico’s. With such an extensive menu, I had a hard time narrowing my choice down - but I went for my all time favourite Turkish dish, a chicken
bursa. Layers of pita bread smothered in garlic sauce and topped with big chunks of chicken in a
tomatoey sauce baked with cheese… this meal was the perfect end to a great weekend.
Thank you Peterhead for a wonderful 48 hours. I am leaving with a full belly, and lots of great
memories. I’m always looking for an excuse to get out of the city an explore a new area, and
Peterhead offered the perfect escape. To me, what makes Peterhead truly unique is it’s proximity
to the sea (hello fresh seafood!), and the amazing community. There’s just something about this
coastal town that has me already wanting to come back for more. See you again soon!
