Ice skating is a fun activity that can be enjoyed by all, from young children to older adults. We are fortunate in Aberdeen to have an ice rink on our doorstep – Linx Ice Arena, located on the Beach Promenade.

Ice skating has been in existence for thousands of years now. At one time, in some northern parts of the world, it was how people travelled around. Rumour has it that ice skating was initially developed as a sport in Scotland and then in the Netherlands on lochs and canals, according to Scholastic. The first skate club was founded in Edinburgh in 1742, with metal-bladed skates then taken over to North America with Scottish immigrants.

Looking for some inspiration?

There are some incredible inspirations in the world of ice skating!

• Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean – These British Ice Dancing legends are where the conversation about ice dancing begins; their iconic gold-medal winning performance to Ravel’s “Bolero” gaining perfect 6.0s is one of the finest moments in sporting history.
• Sonja Henie – Considered ‘the greatest figure skater in history’ in both men and women’s skating, the Norwegian female scooped three Olympic golds in ladies singles and 10 consecutive world titles (the most of any female at the time).
• Irina Rodnina – probably the greatest pair skater in history, Irina competed internationally for the Soviet Union from the 1960s to 1980s, won three consecutive Olympic golds and 10 straight world championships.
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir – These two started skating together when they were just 10 years old and have gone on to win the most medals in Olympic history for ice skaters, scooping five medals whilst only appearing at three Olympic tournaments.
• Ulrich Salchow – In the early 20^th Century, Ulrich was regarded as one of the best ice skaters, winning gold at the 1908 Olympics and holding 10 world championship men’s singles titles.  

What you will need

Skate hire is available at Linx Ice Arena, so all you need to do is wear the correct clothing– something warm that won’t strain your movements is recommended and it is a good idea to wear gloves too. It’s also advised that if your balance isn’t the best or if a young child is learning to wear protective elbow and knee pads until balance is found on the ice, and a helmet may be needed as well. You should treat the activity as a work out – warm up, keep hydrated and remember to stretch afterwards.

Health benefits

Ice skating is a great form of exercise and comes with several additional benefits including improved mental health, better balance and joint flexibility, it also provides a calmer way to boost your cardio activity levels. Skating is a sport suitable for all ages and abilities, however if you are concerned about any underlying health conditions, you should check with your doctor before starting a new exercise activity to be safe.  

Ready to get skating?

If you fancy getting your skates on and taking to the ice, come on down and see us at Linx Ice Arena. The venue offers both group and private skating lessons, public ice-skating sessions, parent and toddler sessions, as well as special events throughout the year.

For more information on everything Ice Aberdeen has to offer, including public sessions times and prices, visit our ice skating activity page.