UBC October 2025 - Aberdeen: From Ice Arena to Absurdity

When traveling in the UK, you can’t escape soccer or rugby, as they’re the most popular sports here. So we were all the more delighted when we arrived in Aberdeen and passed the Lynx Ice Arena, home to the third-ranked hockey team in the Scottish league.

There was no game though, so we moved on to Aberdeen’s Union Square, which is a large, modern shopping and leisure complex in the city center, integrated with the main railway and bus stations. It features over 50 retail stores (which sadly closed at 7 p.m.), more than 30 restaurants and cafés, a 10-screen Cineworld cinema, and a hotel. All in all a major transportation and entertainment hub.

Remember how I pledged to avoid unpredictable independent hotels after our two Fawlty Tower experiences? Here, our very generic hotel was exactly that: functional, central, and reasonably priced. Sure, the pricey parking was a ten-minute walk away, but everything else worked out fine. Maybe it’s a mid-week thing? Maybe Aberdeen isn’t a popular place to stay? I’m not sure, but I’m glad it worked for us.

I may have found my answer the next day while exploring: Aberdeen seems to be mainly a summer tourist spot. 

There’s the beachfront area that reminded me of Ocean City Beach in Maryland, USA: Ferris Wheel, amusement park, shops, eateries, boardwalk, you get the picture - because with all the diggers and cranes blocking my view I couldn't take one ;-)

In October, though, the season was long over, and the entire area was under renovation. Must have been for quite a while. This sign at Pizza Hut apologizing for not offering ice cream made us laugh. Frankly, we would have settled for pizza!

The only inhabitants were aggressive seagulls, who, deprived of French fries from visitors or fish from the sea, had taken to patrolling the retail park a few streets back.

Here’s the thing: just like in Manchester, there were no trash cans. Colin and I walked around the entire plaza, which spans 20,900 square meters (225,212 square feet), entering and exiting several supermarkets on the lookout for a bin to dispose of his donut wrapper. Not a chance. The only container we found was meant exclusively for dog poop, and it was overflowing.

No wonder the birds were thriving.

Another absurd little moment: At ASDA supermarket, formerly part of the Walmart family, we found a wonderful Grab & Go fridge right at the entrance. Beverages, sandwiches, salads, smoothies, fruit cups, all looked fairly healthy and convenient. Perfect for a quick meal.

I grabbed a pineapple container and approached the checkout, asking for a fork.

The lady shook her head. No cutlery was sold there.

I blinked.

“How are you supposed to eat any of these items you sell? Isn’t the whole concept of this fridge to provide something quick and easy to eat?”

Her answer: some people carry their own spork, a utensil that’s both a spoon and fork, in their purse.

Wow. I like to call myself organized, but I don’t bring cutlery in my bag for convenience-store pineapple. Back into the fridge it went.

Never a dull moment…

What’s the most absurd “tourist problem” you’ve encountered while traveling?