JUST JULIA DRIVES: A weekend in Aberdeen with an Audi Q5

As someone who has grown up in the back seat of various Audi's, I'd like to think I'm familiar with their cars, or at least the back seat of them. To me, I have always viewed Audi as a high quality, luxury brand. My dad's been a big fan of the brand for years, and to be honest, I can't remember a time when he hasn't had an Audi. I guess that's where my interest in cars really stemmed from.

I'd looked into purchasing an Audi before (and by purchasing I mean taking out on finance) but the timing just wasn't right. However, fast forward about six months and I finally got my chance to own an Audi, all be it just for the weekend.

When Aberdeen Audi first got in touch with me I was excited by the thought I was possibly going to get the chance to try out an A1. It wasn't until I did some further investigating that I found out I was getting to take out a new Audi Q5 S-line. The Audi Q5 2017 is a magnificent car, however, I had definitely underestimated the size of it.

Just to set the scene for you, I'm used to driving a small manual Corsa, so this 4 x 4 automatic beast was definitely on a whole new level. Having only ever driven manual cars in my time (I've been driving for around 7 years now) I was a little apprehensive about taking out an automatic car, but after 10 minutes in the car, it was like second nature.

I arrived at the John Clark's Audi dealership late Friday afternoon and met with the friendly staff there. The team kitted me out with the stunning deep blue car and off I went to take it home for the weekend. The thing about living in town is that there's limited parking, and the majority of the parking available is parallel on-street parking. Lucky for me the Audi Q5 came with parking sensors and a rearview camera which was excellent in helping assist and guide me into spaces easily. I'd never used a car with sensors or parking assist before and I was absolutely loving it. With the car being much bigger than what I was used to, I was a little nervous the first time parking it, but the more familiar I became with the car, the easier and more comfortable I felt.

Come Saturday morning I was raring to go. 

We'd planned a wee jaunt out to Royal Deeside to check out some foodie places. I really wanted to make the most of this opportunity so we got up early and headed out to Ballater. The first stop on our Deeside foodie tour was Dee Valley Confectioners. My boyfriend had sold me on the idea of going out to see all the sweets being made in the factory, but unfortunately, when we turned up, the factory was closed. There went that idea. A quick walk around the town centre and it was back to the car.

Travelling across lots of country roads, the 4 x 4 handled every corner like a dream. Powerful as it is, it was surprisingly easy to manoeuvre around tight corners and being automatic, I didn't once have to think about changing gears or taking my eyes off the road really.

Onwards to Cambus O'May Cheeses.

I was very impressed with how smooth the car was and how quick it was able to pick up speed. It was extremely comfortable and the interiors have been finished to the highest of standards. Arriving at Cambus O'May Cheeses, the road was very bumpy and had a lot of potholes, taking my time the car handled every bump with ease and the sturdy tyres were bigger than most of the holes so just glided across them. The Audi SUV truly wasn't phased by the bumps in any way. Jumping out the car, I was afraid the cheese factory was closed, and with no sign of life around it was clear that the factory was indeed closed. We got back in the car and headed off to Aboyne.

Whilst driving throughout Royal Deeside we came across some snow. Having a car that's pretty rubbish in the snow, I wanted to see how the new Audi Q5 handled it. Pulling into an area off the road, I drove around, putting the car to the test. The car handled the icy car park perfectly and was so easy to drive on the snowier terrain. It didn't slide at all and it was super smooth again on the more rugged bumpy gravel. After a quick drive around we were back on the road to find somewhere fine for lunch.

Arriving in Aboyne around midday, we headed to The Spider on the Bicycle for some grub. I was rather ravenous by this point and was looking for something tasty. Having never visited the eatery before, Calum and I parked the car (using my sensors and rearview camera of course) and walked down. We inhaled our lunch and were soon back on the road. (You can read all that we had on my blog on The Spider on the Bicycle here).

After lunch we then paid a quick visit to the World Horse Welfare Centre - somewhere I'd never visited before. Haven ridden horses since I was four, I wanted to stop in and learn a little more about what the team at the centre do. The road along to the centre was long and bumpy, but I can honestly say the car just glided over the speed bumps and in comparison to my car, you could hardly feel the bumps which was fantastic.

After our quick visit, we were then off to The Birdhouse in Banchory for a fly cup before our trip to Devenick Dairy. I've wanted to visit The Birdhouse for ages having seen it on Instagram and I was in the mood for something sweet.

I'd been keeping an eye on our fuel levels (the Audi Q5 2017 was diesel) and we hadn't seemed to have even made a dent in it which I was really impressed with. I knew diesel cars were much better for fuel, but I was really chuffed to see we'd hardly used any.

It took us no time to arrive in Banchory and get parked. The cafe was busy, but having spied a couple leaving, we took sanctuary from the cold under the stunning instalment at the window. We ordered our hot drinks and a fine piece and sat back to relax for a bit.
Time was pressing on so we got back in the car switching our heated seats on immediately and drove out to Devenick - we were really just popping in to be nosy as we'd never visited. The road on the way was rather windy, but the Audi Q5 handled it with ease. The SUV had no problem getting around the tight corners and although the car is quite wide and tall, it slid in the smallest of gaps and got us there no bother.

We took a quick look around and decided to stay for a drink. We were a little too early in the year to see the cows getting milked as they are all pregnant at the moment, but we did get to see some wee piggies which were sleeping. The farm is home to The Tin Coo which boasts a farm shop, children's play area, a restaurant and a viewing gallery where you can watch the cow's when they're getting milked.Craving something fine for tea and being so close to Stonehaven, we just had to pay a visit to my favourite chipper, The Bay Fish and Chips. Not before a quick pit-stop to the centre of the town to get a couple of beers for Calum of course.

The queue was out the door as always on a Saturday night, but it didn't take us long to get our suppers and go. We missed the sunset unfortunately so instead of sitting in the car to eat, we decided to take it home. Another thing I really loved about this car was its headlights. They were so bright and the fact you can put them on an automatic setting just made life so much easier. The headlights on Audi's themselves are very distinctive, and I think the design of them is superb.
The Next morning was an early start again, this time we were heading up to Peterhead to check out the Peterhead Prison Museum and Brew Toon - a small micro-brewery based in the town. The weather was pretty good again, but a little more overcast the closer we got to the coast. Saturday had been a busy day and we'd done a lot of driving, but the car was as comfortable as ever and I had really relaxed into the feel of it and was totally used to it now.

I felt really safe in the car and I think it would make a great family car too - if I had kids I'd definitely feel like they'd be safe in this car which I think it really important. It's all fine and well for the car to look good, but to be safe and sturdy too, that's a real bonus for buyers.

We arrived in Peterhead just as the museum was opening so managed to get in before the crowds descended which was good. The prison experience itself was fantastic, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone - although you'll want to wrap up warm as it is baltic! Absolutely 100% worth visiting though. Retreating to the car to warm ourselves up (which didn't take long) we went in search of Brew Toon for a fine non-alcoholic, warm brew.

The micro-brewery is almost based in the heart of Peterhead and makes a great wee place to catch up with friends. I'm pretty sure if I lived in Peterhead I'd be here constantly. The beers looked good, and the coffee was great, but what I loved most about Brew Toon was the fact you could watch a working micro-brewery in action whilst enjoying your brew. Of course with our luck, the brewery wasn't operational when we were there, but it was still really cool to see what it looked like and check out the operation they had going on. 

Fancying a stodgy burger for lunch we headed back on the road to Aberdeen with our heated seats on full blast this time.
Spying a sign for the White Horse Inn we pulled into Balmedie and headed for the restaurant. It wasn't overly busy, which worked in our favour so we could get our food even quicker. We ordered some nachos with pulled pork to share to start, and then both of us ordered a cheeseburger and chips. This was exactly what we needed to fuel our hunger after a busy weekend.

Checking the fuel before we pulled off, I was stunned that we hadn't even used half of the tank yet. Having travelled a lot across Royal Deeside, down to Stonehaven and around Aberdeen the day before, and driving all the way to Peterhead and back I thought we'd have had to fill the car up a bit at least, but we were still sitting with a lot of petrol left. My Corsa is a 1.2L so I'm clearly not used to a car which boasts a 2L engine and is diesel of course.

The car is nippy and can pick up speed pretty sharp, and it doesn't surprise me that it is said to go from 0 - 60mph in under 7.4 seconds because it really does move. It's a thrilling and exciting car to drive and it's modern finish makes it really appealing. The Audi Q5 has a lot going for it and was a delight to drive. It warms up fast, has stop/start technology and a great digital home system with sat nav and everything else you would need on your journey, making it super easy to drive.

Heading to the Audi Aberdeen garage to return the car, I couldn't help but feel absolutely gutted. I'd got so comfortable with the car and now knew my way around it. I didn't want to say goodbye to the parking sensors or the heated seats, not to mention the automatic headlights or the music system which had insane volume.

This car gets you to where you need to be quickly and safely. It's stylish, sophisticated and oozes luxury. Be for nipping around town in, or taking on the country roads, this car is one that can mould into what you need it to be for the occasion.

The new Audi Q5 is for sale now and if you'd like to take it out for a test drive like I did, then all you have to do is book one by contacting the group here and arrange to pick up a car.

So go on, do something different and take a car away for a weekend and see just how much fun you have. You never know where you might end up...

Keep an eye out for my vlog I'll be posting on my weekend with the Audi Q5 coming soon!

  For Now...

Just Julia

*This is a sponsored post in collaboration with the John Clark Group and Audi Aberdeen. All views expressed are my own and of my own experience with an Audi Q5.

Malmaison: An Aberdeen staycation

It's not often I decide to take on the role of a tourist in Aberdeen. So often I get to experience the exciting things going on within the city and  regularly visit some of our much-loved landmarks, however its clear to me that I guess I've never truly appreciated just how great our beautiful Granite City really is.

The hotel industry is one of the biggest in Aberdeen with numerous incredible establishments located across the City and Shire. It's very rare for me to visit one of these brilliant hotels, so when Malmaison Aberdeen invited me to check out their humble abode located a stones throw away from my home, I accepted at haste and booked my best friend and I in for a sleepover.

A staycation is not not something I've experienced before really, but it's definitely something I would do again after staying at the hotel a few weekends ago.

To me, it was obvious that as soon as we'd stepped into the reception area that this was a weekend we were truly going to enjoy....

Front of house was busy, and I could hear laughter filling the bar located just to the left of the reception area. Welcomed by two extremely friendly faces, they swiftly checked us in and directed us to our room.

One floor up we meandered through the stylish corridor passing over the brassiere on the ground floor and fell into our room and straight onto the bed. It was comfy, too comfy, and we just lay there in a heap relaxing and gossiping. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how big the room was. It was modern, beautifully decorated and had hints of tartan throughout which I very much enjoyed. There was a mini bar, a snacks rack, great storage space and plenty of mirrors - ideal for two girls sharing - not to mention the chocolate which went down a treat.

As well as the room being very spacious, the bathroom was really big too. It boasted a four-piece suite with an amazing power shower which I could have stayed in all day, a number of Malmaison toiletries and big fluffy towels which were perfect for wrapping ourselves in whilst we got ready for our night in.

Located on Queen's Road, its ideally located and is just a short walk away from the city centre making it a great hotel to stay in if you're looking for something central but not bang in the middle of the busy centre. With 79 bedrooms in the establishment, the building is quite deceiving form the outside and what's truly fantastic, is that it's got complimentary parking to the front and rear of the property.

Where comfort meets style we slowly got ready in our trendy room prepping ourselves for our evening meal. Trying out the new spring menu we had the appetite for it it and we were really excited to get our teeth into it.

Heading down to the Malbar for a cocktail or two, I questioned the knowledgeable bar staff about which drinks to try out, what was popular and what I should try be adventurous with.  A few cocktails later, we were invited through to the dining area, passing the  cute whisky snug as we ventured through to the brasserie for dinner.

Having launched the spring menu a few weeks ago, I was looking forward to trying it out. Featuring everything from spring lamb Benedict to fresh spring vegetable and wild garlic risotto, not to mention grilled masala spiced mackerel, we were spoiled for choice.

Opting for something light to start it was the fresh burrata with creamy mozzarella cheese and heritage tomato salad with yellow and red tomatoes topped with a herb puree that caught my eye. My date - Lauren - decided on the spring lamb Benedict which included slow braised Dorset lamb shoulder, American glaze and mint Béarnaise on a thick slice of brioche bread. The salad was extremely delicious and was bursting with flavour. Lauren's lamb was succulent and cooked perfectly. Partnered with a generous slice of brioche bread the savoury dish had a slightly sweet hit to it which she absolutely loved.

For mains we had both eyed up the chicken milanese, however Lauren changed her mind at the last minute to the fresh spring vegetable and wild garlic risotto. It came with pea shoots and extra virgin olive oil to finish the dish off. 

My flat breaded chicken breast was accompanied by a Burford Brown fried egg, delicious, heavenly truffle mayonnaise and rainbow chard - the whole dish was utterly scrumptious and the egg was perfectly cooked so when the yolk was burst, it oozed across my plate. On the side came a plate of anya potatoes with chive vinaigrette which we shared. They were beautifully cooked.

Turning to dessert, we held off ordering for a while to give ourselves a breather. After all, there was a chocolate brownie with my name on it.

Trying hard to order different dishes, it was merely impossible for the both of us to turn down a chocolate brownie, so two warm Valrhona caramel chocolate brownies with brown butter pecan ice cream it was. The rhubarb trifle and seasonal fromage slate sounded divine too but in the end we just couldn't resist the sweet taste of chocolate. Coming alongside the brownie was a jug of warm melted chocolate sauce which we doused our brownies in. No words can describe that dessert - it was lovely and creamy, and just gorgeous. Rich in flavour and texture it melted in my mouth.

Throughout dinner we ordered a few cocktails off of the spring drinks menu, with the grapefruit and lychee collins and the rhubarb and basil gimlet being firm favourites. The grapefruit cocktail had Finlandia grapefruit vodka, lychee liqueur, grapefruit, lemon, sugar, elderflower tonic and cranberry bitters in it - it was refreshing and quite sweet even despite having grapefruit vodka in it.

A gin lover, of course my cocktail was going to include the juniper-based spirit. With Brockmans gin, Chase rhubarb liqueur, lime, sugar, cranberry bitters and a basil leaf to finish it off it was the stand out cocktail for me.

On the menu there was a selection of Maltonics which included numerous premium spirits paired with the best tonics which had been carefully selected by the bartenders of Malmaison.

The brassiere was busy, and although there were many big tables in, the staff looked completely composed and made us feel relaxed. The high ceilings and the stunning decor in the restaurant is something I've always loved about the space, and the fact there's a partly open kitchen area for diners to watch the chefs in action boasts another tick in my book.

Heading back to our room we got into our pyjamas and did what most best friends would do when sleeping over - we chilled out with a box of chocolates (with very few touched) and talked the night away. A couple of bottles of prosecco, one too many laughs and a sore bottom after somehow missing the bed and landing in a heap later, we headed to sleep to get a good nights rest.

The beds were so comfortable I didn't want to move, and the curtains hid the sun beautifully ensuring we we weren't woken up too early. We decided to spend the morning in bed flicking through our favourite magazines discussing the latest fashion and beauty trends - or more to the point, how impressed we had been with the hotel.

Malmaison Aberdeen had been an excellent experience and the idea of a staycation has really spurred me on to find out more about the different services the hotel offered. From popular afternoon teas, to relaxing and therapeutic spa packages to romantic weekend away packages and outstanding dinner and drinks options, there's something to suit all tastes at the contemporary, stylish hotel.

With Sunday brunch booked for later on in the afternoon we headed to reception saying our farewells to our gorgeous room. And just like that we were sat in the lounge area, raring to go on our next Malmaison adventure...

P.s If you love brunching, then you'll want to check out my next blog post on Malmaison Aberdeen.

  For Now...

Just Julia