Aberdeen

Understand

Aberdeen is set in fertile lowlands and is the natural regional centre, becoming a city in 1179 when two villages grew into each other. Old Aberdeen is north, by the mouth of the River Don, and home to the University since 1495. New Aberdeen developed from 1136 two miles south near the mouth of the River Dee: this has a much better harbour and became the city centre. It was bashed about in conflicts until 1745, but then followed a long spell of peace and prosperity. Aberdeen was rebuilt in its signature grey granite along the broad axis of Union Street east-west, which intersects the historic coast road then at Castlegate turns north along King Street. So grand and confident were these buildings, they bankrupted the city in 1817, probably a civic first. Aberdeen recovered through its traditional industries based on farming, fishing, knitware and paper, but by the late 20th century these were in decline. The city was out on a limb, a long way from markets, materials and labour... and then they struck oil. In the 1960s the North Sea was shown to have commercially exciting reserves of gas to the south and oil to the north, and the quirks of international frontiers awarded Britain the lion's share. This transformed UK politics and the economy, nowhere more so than in Aberdeen. The oilfields lay many miles offshore, but in a relatively shallow sea, and technology advanced to exploit them. Oil was brought ashore at Sullom Voe in Shetland and at Grangemouth on the Firth of Forth. It never came through Aberdeen: the city's role was as a support base for the oil platforms, and centre of industrial innovation as the quest for new fields moved into deeper darker waters. The skies were busy with the chatter of helicopters ferrying workers to and from the rigs. The city was a boom town and property prices soared. "It's Scotland's Oil!" became a rallying cry, OPEC quotas drove up the oil price and until 2014 it looked as if oil could fuel the vehicle of Scottish independence. But a referendum voted against it, and the price later collapsed. The price, and Aberdeen's fortunes, have been up and down since, illustrating the risks around a single cash crop. Moreover, sentiment turned against oil as a carbon-based fuel from a dwindling non-renewable source. The industry remains a big player here, but the city needs to diversify.

Aberdeen is a year-round destination, provided you've got enough weather-proof clothing. Its winters are mild compared to other cities at about 56-57 North such as Riga, Gothenburg, Juneau or Novosibirsk, but by British standards it's cool. It's

Getting there

By plane There are flights to Aberdeen from Amsterdam, Bergen, Burgas, Copenhagen, Dublin, Esbjerg, Gdansk, Geneva, Groningen, Haugesund, Paris CDG, Riga, Oslo, and Stavanger, plus seasonal flights to the Mediterranean. There's a wide range of UK flights, as Aberdeen is far to reach by rail or road. These include London Heathrow (with BA), London Gatwick and Luton (with easyJet), Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Durham, Humberside, Kirkwall on Orkney, Leeds, Manchester, Norwich, Newcastle, Southampton, Stornoway on Lewis, Sumburgh on Shetland, and Wick. Aberdeen is also a hub for transfers to the weird sounding destinations of Apache, Hurricane, Ineos, and Nexen. These are the names of oil and gas rigs out in the North Sea, served by helicopter from here. 1 Aberdeen International Airport (ABZ IATA) is at Dyce, 7 miles (11 km) northwest from city centre. There are car rental desks here but their stock is limited, best book in advance. Between airport and city centre, take the bus. Jet 727 is a big blue Stagecoach bus, running every 10-30 min to the main bus station in Union Square, next to the railway station and ferry terminal. It runs daily between 3AM and midnight, taking 30 min. In early 2025, a single ticket costs £3.70 and a return (good for 28 days) costs £6.50. The former direct buses to Stonehaven, Montrose and Peterhead have been axed. Dyce has a railway station, but it's wrong side of the runway from the terminal, a 45-min walk with no public transport. You could take a taxi there: you'd only do this to pick up a northbound train without going into city centre. The Aberdeen to Inverness trains stop at Dyce, Inverurie, Insch, Huntly, Keith, Forres and Nairn. A taxi to town costs about £25, and to Dyce £15.

By train

Wikivoyage has a guide to Rail travel in Great Britain. Aberdeen has trains hourly from Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street, both taking 2 hr 30 min, via Dundee. From England it's usually quicker to change in Edinburgh, but there are a few direct daytime trains from London King's Cross (via Peterborough, York and Newcastle) taking 7 hours. Likewise from the Midlands, with two or three trains winding all the way from Penzance via Exeter, Bristol, Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh. Trains also run from Inverness to Aberdeen every couple of hours, taking about 2 hours. The Caledonian Highland Sleeper runs Su-F from London Euston, departing around 9:30PM to arrive by 7:40AM. (Other portions run to Inverness or Fort William, dividing at Edinburgh.) The southbound train leaves around 9:30PM to reach Eu

Getting around

On foot Walking is an excellent way to get around Aberdeen, particularly around central areas, as the city centre is relatively compact. Walking is also by far the best way to appreciate the grand architecture of the city. However, the city is not that small (e.g. Union Street is one mile long) so for journeys outside of the city centre, wheeled transport may be useful. Aberdeen has a medieval layout like many cities in the UK, so for the first-time visitor, a map is helpful. There are quite a few of these on signs around the city centre, mainly in points of interest (e.g. the Castlegate). However, it is very useful to have a map of the city to carry with you. You can buy maps from the Tourist Information Centre on the corner of Union Street and Shiprow, or from city bookstores.

By bus

Most city buses are operated by First Aberdeen. Pay on entry by cash (no change given), contactless bank card or mTicket. In 2021 the single fare by cash is adult £1.70, child £1.25; a day ticket is adult £4.40, child £2.60. These don't include night buses, or the Park & Ride which is £3.60. The mTicket (for day tickets or longer) doesn't save much, but avoids fumbling for the right change. You buy online or at Paypoint outlets, and display it on your phone. Useful routes are Buses 1 and 2 from Robert Gordon University in the south, through Union Square transport hub, then north up King St to Bridge of Don, Old Aberdeen and the University of Aberdeen. Stagecoach run the buses to other towns across Aberdeenshire, see "Get in" options for each town. These are sometimes better for edge-of-city transport.

By taxi

Taxis wait at the railway station, Back Wynd (off central Union Street), Chapel St (west end of Union St), Hadden Street (off Market Street) and at the airport. They're saloons or people-carriers of any colour, not London-style black cabs. Taxis and drivers must be registered with the City Council and carry an official registration plate, which is usually on the back. The main taxi companies are Aberdeen Taxis +44 1224 200200 and Rainbow City +44 1224 878787. Uber does not operate here. Fares are regulated: in Jan 2022 it's £2.40 for the first 950 yards then 20p for every 180.5 yards, so reckon £3.40 for the first mile and £2 per subsequent mile. Good luck finding one when the pubs are closing: at night taxis won't pick up waifs and strays flagging them in the street. So either queue at a rank or phone, and be prepared for a long wait either way.

By bicycle This is fraught in city centre traffic, where walking is first choice, but more helpful further

See

Granite architecture is the defining feature of the city, though much is showing its age. See Read above for more on city architecture. Highlights are: Union Street has a mile-long stretch: but look up, the street frontage in many places is modern. Town House (city hall) is a confident Victorian example. Each building has its own style and scale, it's not like, say, Grey Street in Newcastle upon Tyne with a unified style. Marischal College on Broad Street has been nicely cleaned up. It was acclaimed by Betjeman as "tower on tower, forests of pinnacles, a group of palatial buildings rivalled only by the Houses of Parliament at Westminster". Castlegate has the baronial Salvation Army Citadel. Rosemount Viaduct has the elegant cluster of His Majesty's Theatre, St Mark's Church and the Central Library.

1 Union Terrace Gardens, Union Terrace AB10 1NJ. A small city-centre park and sunken garden on one side of Union Terrace. A small river, the Denburn, used to flow here but is now covered by the railway. The gardens are a haven of tranquility and greenery in the city-centre. In summer look out for the floral coat of arms, and in warm weather citizens sunbathe and picnic on the lawns. All year round, the gardens give a good view of the surrounding architecture. From 2010 the park was threatened with grandiose redevelopment plans, but in 2012 the council scrapped this idea. A more modest plan was undertaken for £28.3 million and the park was closed from 2019 -2022. Free. (updated May 2023) 2 Aberdeen Beach stretches for two miles from Footdee by the harbour and mouth of the Dee to Donmouth near Old Aberdeen. It's sandy and popular for surfing and windsurfing; you'll need a wet suit as the North Sea is cold (not that you'd guess from those iconic 1920s railway publicity posters). It's flanked by an Esplanade, good for walking or running. The south Footdee end has a funfair, ice rink, and leisure centre, plus city facilities such as restaurants and a cinema. The quieter north end is flanked by King Links golf course and ends at the Donmouth wildlife reserve. 3 Footdee (pronounced "Fitty") is a well-preserved fishing village laid out in 1809, in a pleasing unity of style. The name is a conflation of "St Fittick", "Foot of Dee" (ie the estuary) and "Fish Town". 4 Girdle Ness is the headland south of the Dee estuary. Torry Battery guarding the harbour entrance was built in medieval times. In 1860 it was re-fortified against no-one in particular, and got to fire its guns just once, in 1941, against two friendly approaching vessels that failed to identify themselves. T

Do

What's on? For local events listen to Northsound 1 on 96.9, 97.6 & 103 FM, Northsound 2 on 1035 AM, and Original 106 on 106.8 & 106.3 FM. Or read the Press & Journal, which also publishes Evening Express. 1 The Belmont Cinema, 49 Belmont Street AB10 1JS, ☏ +44 1224 343500. temporarily closed. 3-screen cinema showing arthouse, foreign and selected mainstream films. Went into administration on 6 October 2022, and a charity has been formed to save it; they have redevelopment plans and are fundraising in 2025. Occasional events are held in the cinema whilst it is closed. (updated Sep 2025) 2 Aberdeen Science Centre (Satrosphere), The Tramsheds, 179 Constitution Street AB24 5TU, ☏ +44 1224 640340. Daily 10AM-5PM. Interactive science discovery centre in the former city tram depot. Adult £9, child £5.50, conc £6.80, family £23. (updated Dec 2021) 3 Aberdeen Harbour Cruises, Eurolink Pontoon next to Fish Market, Aberdeen Harbour (enter harbour from Market Street; no parking here, use Union Square), ☏ +44 7807 031018. Apr-Oct. Tours include harbour trips, spotting sea-life (dolphins, basking sharks, porpoises, puffins), and a ride out to the offshore wind farm. (updated Jan 2025) 4 Scotstown Moor Local Nature Reserve. 34 hectares of lowland heath. (updated Jan 2025) Deeside Way is a walking and cycling path from Aberdeen to Ballater along an old railway trackbed. The first section is along the north bank of the Dee, starting from the Polmuir Rd entrance to Duthie Park. It heads pretty much straight through Peterculter, Coalford and Dalmaik to Drumoak near Drum Castle, 10.6 miles. See Banchory for the next section west.

Events

Spectra is a long weekend of indoor and outdoor illuminated artworks. The next is probably 6-9 Feb 2026, tbc. Aberdeen Jazz Festival has live jazz at several city venues. The next is 12-22 March 2026. Nuart Aberdeen in June is about street art in all its guises. Several dozen murals are commissioned each year, which are painted on walls around the city centre. The murals from previous years can still be seen on walls at any time - pick up a map locally. The next is 22-26 April 2026. Light the Blue is art by people aged 5-25. It's probably next held 1-14 June 2026, tbc. Aberdeen Highland Games are held in Hazelhead Park, with the next probably on Sa 4 July 2026, tbc. Offshore Europe is a big biennial conference and trade fair for the offshore oil and gas industries, although given the span of technologies involved, there might be something for you. It's held at P&J Live in Bucksburn in September in odd-numbered years, with the next in Sep

Buy

Union Street is the traditional shopping strip, but like High streets across Britain it's become hollowed out. The big stores have moved into the malls, while the independents have moved back a block or so, or folded. Malls in city centre are Bon Accord Centre (entrances on Upperkirkgate and George Street), St Nicholas Centre (entrances on Upperkirkgate and St Nicholas Square), Trinity Centre (entrances on Union Street and Guild Street), The Academy (entrance on Schoolhill) and Union Square on Guild Street. Independents: look for them on Rosemount Viaduct, Holburn Street, Rose Street, Chapel Street, Belmont Street, Upperkirkgate and The Green, with Rosemount Place further north. Money: the major banks are found on Union St and Union Square, with half-a-dozen ATMs. Bank hours are typically M-F 9:30AM-4:30PM, with some open Saturday morning. Markets: Castlegate has a general outdoor market Friday mornings. The Farmers Market is on Belmont St last Saturday of the month 9AM-5PM.

Supermarkets

Co-op Food at 204 Union Street is a small supermarket open daily 6AM-11PM. They have five others further out. Marks & Spencer are in Union Square (M-Sa 8AM-8PM, Su 9AM-6PM) with another by the Royal Infirmary. Morrisons at 215 King Street are open M-Sa 7AM-11PM; Su 8AM-10PM. Asda is in the Beach Retail Park behind the funfair, open daily 8AM-8PM. Their store at Garthdee Road by the Bridge of Dee roundabout is open till midnight. Sainsbury's Local and Tesco Express are mini-supermarkets or convenience stores in city centre.

Eat

The Aberdeen buttery or rowie is a cross between a pancake and a croissant. They have a flaky yet heavy texture and are very salty. They're served plain or with butter or jam to make a tea-time or mid-afternoon snack. They're seldom found in cafes or restaurants, you buy them in bakeries or supermarkets to eat at home or on the go.

Budget Union Square upstairs has the usual chains including Ask, Yo! Sushi, Wagamama, Nando's and TGI Fridays. 1 Books and Beans, 22 Belmont Street, ☏ +44 1224 646438. Daily 10AM-4PM. A second-hand book shop with lunch menu. (updated Oct 2021) 2 Contour Cafe, 47 The Green AB11 6NY (facing Moonfish cafe), ☏ +44 1224 582151. W Th 9AM-3PM, F Sa 10AM-8PM, Su 10AM-3PM. Friendly cafe with indoor and small outdoor dining areas. (updated Oct 2021) 3 City Bar & Diner, 37-39 Netherkirkgate AB10 1AU, ☏ +44 1224 649592. M Tu 10AM-6PM, W Th 10AM-9PM, F Sa 10AM-10PM. Its customers rate it a hidden gem, great scores for food and service. (updated Oct 2021) 4 The Coffee House, 1 Gaelic Lane AB10 1JF, ☏ +44 1224 478621. Daily 10:30AM-4:30PM. Bright friendly place for coffee and lunch, dog-friendly. (updated Apr 2022) 5 Ashvale, 42 Great Western Rd AB10 6PY, ☏ +44 1224 575842. M Tu 4:30-8PM; W Th noon-2PM, 4:30-8PM; F-Su noon-8PM. Proper sit-down traditional fish restaurant, worth coming the extra distance from city centre. (updated Oct 2021)

Mid-range

Lahore Karahi, 145 King Street AB24 5AE (100 yards north of Premier Inn), ☏ +44 1224 647295. Daily 3:30-10:30PM. Pleasant restaurant serving inexpensive Pakistani cuisine. (updated Sep 2024) 6 La Lombarda, 2-8 King Street AB24 5AX (Castlegate), ☏ +44 1224 640916. M 5-10PM, Tu-Th Su noon-10:30PM, F Sa noon-11PM. Popular central Italian coming up to its centenary. (updated Oct 2021) Royal Thai, 29 Crown Terrace AB11 6HD (facing railway station), ☏ +44 1224 212922. Tu-Sa 5-10PM. This long-running Thai restaurant gets great reviews. (updated Oct 2021) 7 Chinatown, 11 Dee Street AB11 6DY, ☏ +44 1224 211111. Daily noon-2PM, 5:30-10:30PM. Great Chinese food with nice decor and bar. (updated Oct 2021) Oki Doki is a Georgian restaurant at 27 Windmill Brae, off Crown St a block south of Music Hall. It's open Tu-Su 11AM-8PM. 8 Saigon, 29 Crown Terrace AB11 6HD, ☏ +44 1224 213212. Th-Tu 5-10:30PM. Vietnamese diner. Mai's Vietnamese Kitchen is at 12B Back Wynd off Union St, open W-Su noon-10PM. 9 Namaste Delhi, 64 Bridge Street AB11 6JN, ☏ +44 1224 379920. Tu-Su 5PM to 11PM. Contemporary Indian. (updated Sep 2024) 10 Moonfish Cafe, 9 Correction Wynd AB10 1HP, ☏ +44 1224 644166. W-Sa noon-10:30PM, Su

Drink & nightlife

Oh, Samson was a mighty man, he fad on fish 'n chips and walkit doon the Gallowgate, picking up the nips - most Bible scholars place this episode in Glasgow, but it could be anywhere with a low opinion of Edinburgh As elsewhere, smoking is illegal indoors in pubs. It may be permitted outdoors in the beer garden. Belmont Street is the drinking strip north side of Union St, near the bus and railway stations. Watch out for drunken belligerent fellows like Samson, staggering towards his last bus for Gaza after a drouthy evening getting eyeless.

1 Drummonds, 1 Belmont Street AB10 1JR, ☏ +44 1224 619930. M-Th noon-2AM, F Sa noon-3AM, Su 5PM-2AM. A small late-licence venue with live bands. (updated Nov 2021) Siberia Vodka Bar at 9 Belmont Street has rooms, see Sleep. 2 Slains, Belmont Street AB10 1JH, ☏ +44 1224 631877. Su-Th noon-midnight, F Sa noon-1AM. An old church converted into a pub (updated Sep 2025) 3 Wild Boar, 19 Belmont Street AB10 1JR (opposite Slains Castle), ☏ +44 1224 625357. Su-Tu 11AM-11PM, W Th 11AM-midnight, F Sa 11AM-1AM. Belhaven pub, cosy place with stylish decor. (updated Nov 2021) 4 Revolution, 25 Belmont St AB10 1JS, ☏ +44 1224 645475. M-W noon-2AM, Su Th noon-8PM, F Sa noon-3AM. Part of the Revolution cocktail chain. Decent food. (updated Nov 2021) 5 O'Neils Aberdeen, 9-10 Back Wynd AB10 1JN, ☏ +44 1224 622693. Su-Th noon-midnight, F Sa noon-3AM. Irish-themed chain pub with a nightclub upstairs, good grub. (updated Nov 2021) 6 Old School House, 16 Little Belmont Street AB10 1JG, ☏ +44 1224 626490. Su-Th 10AM-11PM, F Sa 10AM-1AM. Belhaven pub behind a granite portico, suggesting that the former school specialised in Latin, Greek and physical chastisement. Good selection of food, TV sport, beer garden and dog friendly. (updated Nov 2021) 7 Ma Cameron's, 6-8 Little Belmont Street AB10 1JG (next to Old School House), ☏ +44 1224 644487. Daily 11AM-midnight. Also a Belhaven pub, in a former coaching inn. Friendly place with good pub grub. (updated Nov 2021) 8 Triplekirks, Schoolhill AB10 1JT (top of Belmont St), ☏ +44 1224 619920. Su-Th noon-midnight, F Sa noon-1AM. Lively pub, the food is okay. (updated Nov 2021) 9 Prince of Wales, 7 St Nicholas Lane AB10 1HF, ☏ +44 1224 640597. Daily 10AM-11PM. Long, long bar, almost as long as HRH Charlie's tenure of the post of Prince of Wales. It's a Belhaven pub where you need to bring an appetite for their hearty trad food. It's hidden away in a block north side of Union St, surrounded by banks that haven't yet been converted to pubs but are presumably looking anxiously over their shoulders. (update

Sleep

Budget 1 Siberia, 9 Belmont St AB10 1JR, ☏ +44 1224 645328. Inexpensive place in the Belmont St pub quarter, with notable vodka bar. from £50. (updated Mar 2025) 2 Hotel Ibis Aberdeen, 15 Shiprow AB11 5BY (next to Maritime Museum), ☏ +44 1224 398800. Clean reliable chain offering. Parking by voucher in NCP is £10 / night. from £46. (updated Mar 2025) 3 Premier Inn, Inverlair House, West North Street AB24 5AS, ☏ +44 333 777 3655. Chain hotel half a mile north of centre. Boxy brutalist exterior but comfy and well-run. Parking £6 / night. from £45. (updated Mar 2025) 4 Travelodge Aberdeen, 9 Bridge Street AB11 6JL (one block north of station), ☏ +44 871 984 6117. Large budget chain hotel looking over Union Street. Travelodge also have branches on the A96 at Bucksburn, and at Dyce near the airport. from £25. (updated Mar 2025)

Mid-range

5 Douglas Hotel, 43-45 Market Street AB11 5EL (corner of Guild St / Trinity Quay), ☏ +44 1224 582255, [email protected]. Central Victorian hotel close to the stations. Comfy enough but some rooms tired. With Molly's Bistro and Irish bar. B&B double £90. (updated Sep 2024) 6 Park Inn by Radisson Aberdeen, 1 Justice Mill Lane AB11 6EQ, ☏ +44 1224 592999, [email protected]. Large modern hotel with business facilities, clean and central. B&B double £140. (updated Oct 2021) 7 Mercure Aberdeen Caledonian (formerly Thistle Caledonian), 10 Union Terrace AB10 1WE, ☏ +44 1224 640233, [email protected]. Reliable mid-range hotel, part of Accor chain, two blocks north of station. Some street noise. B&B double £110. (updated Sep 2024) 8 Station Hotel, 78 Guild Street AB11 6GN (Opposite railway station), ☏ +44 1224 587214, [email protected]. Traditional hotel in the former offices of the Great North of Scotland Railway. Cleaning erratic. B&B double £75. (updated Sep 2024) 9 Leonardo Hotel (formerly Jury's Inn), Union Square, Guild Street AB11 5RG (next to railway and bus station), ☏ +44 1224 381200, [email protected]. Clean well-run chain hotel, couldn't be more central. B&B double £100. (updated Sep 2024) 10 Norwood Hall Hotel, Garthdee Road AB15 9FX (Bus 1 or 2 to RGU Gray's School of Art), ☏ +44 1224 868951, [email protected]. Stylish 19th-century estate next to Robert Gordon University campus. Often used for wedding receptions. B&B double £110. (updated Oct 2021) 11 Atholl Hotel, 54 King's Gate AB15 4YN, ☏ +44 1224 323505, [email protected]. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Victorian Gothic affair a mile west of Union Square. £100 for single room (£110 with b

Go next

See Aberdeenshire for the full range of castles, scenery, whisky distilleries, golf resorts, and what you will. Some within a day trip are:

Stonehaven, a picturesque fishing port 15 miles south, with Dunottar Castle. Banchory for Crathes Castle and Ballater for Balmoral. Cairngorms National Park starts 30 miles west of the city, and its Aberdeenshire side lends itself to day-trips, whereas the Spey Valley side needs a longer stay, e.g. in Aviemore.