reasons to visit aberdeen

The 15 best things to do in Aberdeen: art, natural beauty and bespoke gin

Jan 25, 2022 • 8 min read

The vast, granite Marischal Building in Aberdeen is one of the city's great Gothic Revival buildings © James Jones Jr / Shutterstock

A modern European oil city built on the back of a rich maritime heritage, Aberdeen is the energetic kingpin of northeast Scotland . While the boom times may come and go, the dynamic coastal metropolis never ceases to thrill with its free museums, outdoor adventures and natural attractions right on the city’s doorstep.

Even when bracing against biting winds from the North Sea, visitors can dive indoors to take in globally renowned art, old-fashioned seaside amusements or steamy tropical plants. Here are the 15 best things to do in Aberdeen.

Browse 700 years of creativity at Aberdeen Art Gallery

Transformed after a massive renovation between 2015 and 2019, the revitalized Aberdeen Art Gallery displays a remarkable collection of fine and decorative art, including paintings by acclaimed French Impressionists and Pre-Raphaelites such as Aberdonian William Dyce.

Begin your tour of the elegant neoclassical building in the central Sculpture Court, where eye-catching works dot a checkerboard floor amid sleek marble columns. Boldly designed art deco ceramics and glassware are one floor up, while the top-story South Terrace lets you sneak a peek of the city’s rooftops.

Slurp on a cone at Mackie’s 19.2

Who says you need a balmy climate to enjoy a scoop of the soft stuff? Aberdeenshire dairy farm Mackie’s has been concocting an inventive lineup of ice cream flavors since 1986 with the help of nearly 300 black-and-white Holstein milking cows.

Named for the distance in miles from the farm to its location in the city center, Mackie’s 19.2 ice cream parlor serves a calorie-crammed assortment of cones, sundaes and build-your-own milkshakes, with choices ranging from raspberry ripple and honeycomb to decadently sweet Scottish tablet.

Spot dolphins at Torry Battery

The city’s 19th-century former artillery is one of the best places in the UK to catch sight of bottlenose dolphins from the shore. You can glimpse them year-round feeding and playing at the mouth of Aberdeen Harbour, especially between the orange breakwater and the lighthouse.

To warm up, there’s a small coffee hut at Greyhope Bay , where plans are underway to convert shipping containers into a viewing center with a cafe, story trail and tours. Remember to bring binoculars, and keep your eyes peeled for other wildlife like otters, seals and gulls.

Hit the rides at Codona’s

When it comes to classic seaside thrills, Codona’s checks all the boxes. The retro beachfront amusement park is packed with summer rides like bone-jangling disco waltzers, spinning bumper cars and a stomach-flipping pirate ship. For panoramic city views, take a turn on the Grampian Eye big wheel or get hoisted up the Dead Man’s Drop Tower before plummeting back to earth.

Throughout the year, Lewis Hamilton wannabes can test their skills on the outdoor go-kart track, while indoors you can shoot your on-screen enemies in a 4D simulator or try your luck on old-school claw machines. Book ahead for bowling. For everything else, just turn up.

Encounter pioneers at Provost Skene’s House

Dating to the mid-16th century and reopened in 2021 following a major revamp, Provost Skene’s House showcases the people who have made Aberdeen. The turreted stone building contains a raft of interactive exhibits celebrating the achievements of more than 100 trailblazing residents, from scientists to sporting legends to writers.

Visitors to the free museum can learn about the likes of profoundly deaf pro percussionist Evelyn Glennie or Leslie Benzies, the brains behind Grand Theft Auto . Don’t forget to cast your vote for the next person to be added to the Hall of Heroes.

Surf the North Sea in Footdee

Called ‘Fittee’ by Aberdonians, former fishing village Footdee is a cute huddle of tiny mid-1800s cottages and narrow lanes perched at the entrance to the harbor. It was laid out by city architect John Smith and added to by his son William, who went on to design the Queen’s Scottish hideaway, Balmoral Castle .

Footdee also marks the start of Aberdeen Beach, an expansive sweep of sand stretching north, and a popular spot to catch a few waves. Pitch up at the Scot Surf trailer for boards and lessons.

Stroll the cobbled streets of Old Aberdeen

A lively ecclesiastical and academic hub since the Middle Ages, this historic quarter clusters around King’s College, founded in 1495 and part of the University of Aberdeen. On Wednesdays in term time, you can hear the university’s choir sing during services in King’s College Chapel , whose tower is topped with a striking imperial crown.

Nearby St Machar’s Cathedral is famed for its 16th-century heraldic ceiling, whose 48 shields represent kings, bishops and the Pope. Peaceful paths in Cruickshank Botanic Garden wind among roses, an arboretum and a herbaceous border.

Gaze at street art on a walking tour

Vivid murals and imaginative graffiti splash spaces across the city during the annual Nuart festival. Past works have ranged from Bortusk Leer’s multicolored monsters in the rooftop garden of the St Nicholas Centre to Fanakapan’s smiling yellow balloons that seem to pop out of the wall of a medical building.

Throughout the summer and early fall, free guided walks take in the highlights, including gigantic paintings covering entire facades as well as more bijou, hidden pieces of art. Tours begin at the Bon Accord mall.

Paddle a canoe around Rubislaw Quarry

Opened in the 18th century and filled with water since its closure in 1971, this craggy hole is a legacy of Aberdeen’s granite heyday. The 459ft quarry supplied much of the glittering silver stone used to build the city and also provided material for the construction of the Houses of Parliament and Waterloo Bridge.

Weekend canoeing sessions run by Adventure Aberdeen allow you to explore the crater-like cavity, whose jagged walls are now encased in thick vegetation. Instruction, boat rentals and flotation devices are included.

Explore the David Welch Winter Gardens

Skirting the edge of the River Dee, Aberdeen’s beloved Duthie Park has been drawing visitors to its bandstand and boating ponds since 1883. Within the park, the Winter Gardens are a cozy – and free – retreat from vigorous blasts of North Sea weather.

Tropical, arid and temperate glasshouses show off an aromatic array of rare and exotic plants, including lush ferns and a vast collection of cacti and succulents. Don’t miss the small Japanese peace garden outdoors, designed by Takashi Sawano to commemorate those who died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WWII.

Discover Aberdeen Maritime Museum

Aberdeen’s fortunes have been driven by the sea, whether through fishing, shipbuilding or the North Sea oil and gas industry. The four stories of hands-on exhibits at the free, glass-fronted Aberdeen Maritime Museum include artifacts celebrating the city’s nine-century history as a global trading hub.

The highlight? A detailed 30ft-high model of an oil platform, which gives you an up-close look at the workings of an offshore rig. Before you leave, check out the panoramic harbor views from the museum’s top floor.

Taste gin at the City of Aberdeen Distillery

Aberdeen’s first distillery for 80 years opened beneath a stone railway arch in late 2019. Specializing in small-batch gin, the business infuses its booze with fruity flavors like tangy lemon and Scottish bramble.

Discovery tours teach ginophiles about the city’s distilling heritage and continue behind the scenes to explain the production process. For tutored tastings, sign up to a 90-minute masterclass led by the head distiller, where you’ll have plenty of opportunities to sip – or glug – a few samples.

Cycle the Deeside Way

Connecting Aberdeen with Ballater in the mountainous Cairngorms National Park, the 41-mile  Deeside Way is a multiuse trail combining stretches of old railway line with quiet rural roads. Beginning in Duthie Park, the path heads west, taking in sights such as the ruins of an 11th-century church in Dalmaik.

Other pit stops include Crathes Castle, a 16th-century turreted delight with painted ceilings and a walled garden. Community-run beCyCle lends out bikes free of charge, and B&Bs are dotted along the route if you want to break up the journey.

Wander beneath tall trees in Foggieton

Less visited than neighboring Countesswells forest, this peaceful pocket of woodland west of the city contains a couple of gently winding paths. Hikers can listen out for singing birds on the Warblers’ Trail, a half-mile loop through a regenerated area of forest featuring young native trees like willowy silver birches.

The slightly longer Ladyhill Trail weaves among towering 150-year-old beech trees and patches of blackberry and raspberry bushes where you can grab your fill in summer and fall. Paid parking and cafes are available in the nearby village of Cults – the latter stocked with fluffy scones and cakes.

Plunge into Stonehaven’s outdoor pool

Just 15 miles south of Aberdeen, the coastal town of Stonehaven is home to an Olympic-size open-air pool , right by the beach. Open late May through early September, the 1934 seawater swimming spot was saved from imminent closure in the 1990s thanks to the efforts of a determined community group.

Today you can take a dip in the heated water or stretch out on a lounger on sheltered sun terraces. Wednesday midnight swims in the height of summer let you perfect your crawl to the beat of disco tunes. Stonehaven is a handy 20-minute train ride from Aberdeen.

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5 reasons you must visit Aberdeen, Scotland

Gothic and grey (in a good way), Aberdeen is bursting with great food, intriguing museums and a tiny fishing community where time stands still. Oh, and the Queen has a holiday ‘home’ just up the road…

1. It’s made of granite

Castlegate Square and Mercat Cross in Aberdeen (Shutterstock)

As a city, Aberdeen certainly has a distinctive look – and that look is grey and gothic. Take a walk down Union Street and most of the grand public buildings you see are built from granite quarried from Rubislaw Quarry, located a mile or so from the city centre. Silver and shimmering when it was first quarried, the granite has dulled with age, but it still permeates a sense of solid, dependable indestructibility.

Most of the buildings were built at the end of the 19th century, when advances in technology facilitated the transport and carving of the rock and when Aberdeen was the undisputed granite capital of the world. Aberdeen’s most famous granite buildings are the Music Hall on Union Street, Provost Skene’s House and the Art Gallery and Memorial on Schoolhill.

The most impressive of all is Marischal College on Broad Street, a gothic revivalist pile of soaring spires that reigns as the second largest granite building in the world. On a sunny day, it truly sparkles. When the weather is gloomy, it is suitably moody and dramatic.

2. The hearty Scottish cuisine

Grilled Scottish salmon (Shutterstock)

Aberdeen is perfectly placed to sample the best – and freshest – of Scottish cuisine. Sitting in the heart of Aberdeenshire, famous for its lush pastures and Angus beef, it also boasts a rich coastline, dotted with harbours and fishing ports where fresh seafood is hauled in each day. Then there are the great estates, providers of an abundance of venison and game.

Eating well is easy. Especially in the fine restaurants and cheerful cafes that dot the city centre. Moonfish Cafe and the Braided Fig are both highly rated. No. 1 Bar & Grill is the place to head for hearty Scottish fare in a more laid-back, grill and bistro environment.

You could also try some of Aberdeen’s cheap and cheerful specialities. Like a ‘buttery’, a salty and chewy bread roll, originally made for fisherman and available for less than 50p in any bakery around town. Macaroni cheese pie is another Aberdeen treat and just as affordable.

If you’re feeling particularly peckish, you could head out to Aberdeen’s most famous fish and chip shop, The Ashvale, and take their ‘Whale’ challenge. The Whale is a particular large piece of battered fish and if you can finish it you’ll be rewarded with a free desert. Or another ‘whale’. The choice is yours.

3. The right royal day trips

Horses near Balmoral Castle (Shutterstock)

Aberdeenshire has long been a favourite stomping ground for the British Royal Family. Royal Deeside, a land of glens and ancient forests, where Aberdeenshire meets the Cairngorms, is home to Balmoral, a royal ‘weekender’ since the time of Queen Victoria.

The reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is said to be happiest when at Balmoral. Visitors can share the joy and wander the grounds during the summer. Keep an eye out if you get the chance to attend the Highland Games near here. Royals are often known to pop by and watch a bit of taper tossing, especially at the famous Braemar Gathering.

Elsewhere, the countryside here is dotted with some of Scotland’s most iconic castles, including Craigievar Castle, said to have inspired the castles in Walt Disney’s earliest animations. The extraordinary Dunnottar Castle, perched on a cliff, just south of Stonehaven, is suitably dramatic and worth a visit too. Keep an eye out for the ghosts. The castle is said to be haunted by a teenage girl in a kilt, a lady in green, and a viking.

4. The amazing museums and galleries

Inside the Maritime Museum (Shutterstock)

The renovation of the Aberdeen Art Gallery in 2017 sparked something of a cultural renaissance in Aberdeen. The city now boasts a lively calendar of art and music festivals. A thriving street art scene has emerged, too, enticing artists and musicians from around Scotland to move to the city. And that’s not to mention the already impressive array of public art already to be found.

Aberdeen is also home to a very impressive Maritime Museum, situated on the historic Shiprow in the heart of the city. Spread out over a number of buildings, it charts the ups and downs of this proud maritime city. It is the only place in the UK where you can see displays about the North Sea oil and gas industry, including a massive scale model of a rig, exactly like those battling the elements out in the North Sea.

5. The bustling harbour and incredible coastline

A fishermen’s cottage with a blue door in Footdee Shutterstock)

Life in Aberdeen centres around its busy harbour: a vital hub for the North Sea oil industry, fishermen and the ferries that leave here every night for the long trip to the Shetlands to the north. It is a hive of activity, with pilot boats constantly guiding ships in and out of the harbour.

You could just pull up a bench and watch the frenzied activity, but better still, take a walk around the southern peninsula via Greyhope Road toward the harbour mouth. Right at the end, you’ll find Footdee, a tiny community tucked between the harbour and the beach. Crammed with tiny fisherman’s houses, it’s like stepping back in time, when everyone wore sou’westers to protect against the howling gales coming in from the North Sea.

Continue along the beach and you could spot Aberdeen’s most famous wildlife residents, a large pod of Bottlenose dolphins. They’re often seen from the beach, Torry Battery and even the harbour itself. Keep an eye out for members of the RSPB’s Dolphinwatch. They keep track of the dolphins and are happy to share their expertise on the city’s most intriguing and playful residents.

Further along the north coast, the pretty fishing villages of Portsoy and Pennan are well worth a visit. You might recognise the latter from the movie, Local Hero .

More cities you must visit in Scotland:

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