City centre
First-timersUnion Street and Marischal College.
Aberdeen city guide
Things To Do In Aberdeen
The granite city on the North Sea: silver-grey buildings that sparkle in the sun, a long sandy beach, a fishing village inside the city and the castles and distilleries of the north-east within an hour.
1
Hostels in the city
Granite
The whole city
2.5 h
To Edinburgh
30 min
To Dunnottar Castle
The granite city
Aberdeen is built almost entirely of local granite, which gives it its nickname and its silver-grey look. Marischal College, a Gothic revival granite building in the centre, is one of the largest granite buildings in the world.
The city grew rich on fishing, then on North Sea oil, and it has a long beach, a busy harbour and Old Aberdeen, a quiet medieval university quarter. Footdee, a tiny fishing village of cottages at the harbour mouth, is a surprise inside the city.
Aberdeen is also the gateway to Royal Deeside, the castle country of the north-east and the Speyside whisky trail. Two days is right.
Where to stay
The centre is compact. Stay near Union Street or the harbour.
Old Aberdeen
AtmosphereThe medieval university quarter.
Footdee
The seaThe fishing village at the harbour mouth.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 1 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Aberdeen
Walk along Union Street past the granite buildings to Marischal College. Old Aberdeen, with King's College and St Machar's Cathedral, feels like a separate village.
Footdee, or Fittie, is a cluster of fishermen's cottages at the harbour mouth. The beach and esplanade stretch north from there. At the Torry Battery, across the harbour, dolphins are often seen at the mouth of the river.
Aberdeen Art Gallery and the Maritime Museum are free. Street art from the Nuart festival covers walls across the centre.
Dunnottar Castle, a ruin on a cliff-top rock near Stonehaven, is half an hour south.
Free things
Free things to do in Aberdeen
The beach, Footdee and Old Aberdeen are free. So are the Art Gallery and the Maritime Museum.
The Winter Gardens in Duthie Park are free.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Aberdeen
Aberdeen has excellent seafood and Aberdeen Angus beef. The rowie, or buttery, a flaky, salty bread roll, is the local breakfast.
A pub meal is £12 to £16.
Nightlife
Going out in Aberdeen
Aberdeen has a student population from two universities, and bars along Belmont Street and Union Street.
A pint is £4.50 to £6.
Getting around
Getting around Aberdeen
The centre is walkable. Buses run from the airport to the centre.
Trains reach Edinburgh in about two and a half hours and Inverness in about two and a quarter. Ferries run from the harbour to Orkney and Shetland.
Costs
What Aberdeen costs
Aberdeen is mid-priced. A careful day is £45 to £60.
The currency is the pound sterling, and Scottish banknotes are legal tender. Cards work almost everywhere, including contactless on buses.
Safety
Staying safe in Aberdeen
Aberdeen is safe.
The North Sea is cold and the beach has strong currents.
Emergency number is 999 or 112; for mountain rescue, call 999 and ask for police, then mountain rescue.
Day trips from Aberdeen
Castles, whisky and the northern isles.
Dunnottar Castle
A ruined castle on a cliff-top rock.
Royal Deeside
Balmoral, Braemar and the Cairngorms.
Speyside whisky trail
Distilleries along the river Spey.
Orkney
Neolithic sites and island life.
What's on
What is on while you are there
The north-east's calendar is built around Highland games.
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Hostels
Where to stay in Aberdeen
The top-rated places to stay in Aberdeen right now, live from Hostelworld.
When to go
May to September is best.
Jan
Cold
Feb
Quiet
Mar
Spring
Apr
Spring
May
Good
Jun
Highland games
Jul
Summer
Aug
Busy
Sep
Braemar
Oct
Autumn
Nov
Dark
Dec
Christmas
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. The North Sea wind makes it feel colder.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in pounds.
Excludes distillery tours.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Aberdeen travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Why is Aberdeen called the granite city?
Almost the whole city is built of local grey granite.
Is Aberdeen worth visiting?
Yes, for the architecture, the beach and the castles and whisky nearby.
How far is Dunnottar Castle?
About thirty minutes, near Stonehaven.
Can I see dolphins?
Often, at the harbour mouth from the Torry Battery.
How do I get to Aberdeen?
By train from Edinburgh, about two and a half hours.
How many days do you need?
Two.
When is the best time to visit?
May to September.
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