Independent guide · Aberdeen & the North-East
Plan your stay in Aberdeen, one tick at a time
An eight-step checklist for staying in the Granite City and exploring the North-East of Scotland — from choosing a season and a neighbourhood to castles, coast and the practical bits.
Your trip checklist
Work down the list, follow the links for detail, and tick each step off — your ticks are saved in this browser only.
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Step 1: Pick your season
Daylight shapes a trip to the North-East more than temperature does: long, light evenings in June, roughly seven hours of daylight around midwinter. Decide what you want to do first — hills, coast, castles or city evenings — then choose the months that suit it, and check whether big events coincide with your dates.
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Step 2: Choose your base area
Where you sleep decides how your days flow. The city centre suits short stays and evenings out; Old Aberdeen is quiet and historic; Footdee and the beach put the sea on your doorstep; Deeside and the countryside suit walkers and castle-hunters with a car.
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Step 3: Decide what kind of stay suits you
Hotel, guest house, apartment, cottage or campsite — match the type to how you travel, not the other way round. Then run each listing through a short list of questions: exact location, stairs, parking, noise, check-in, what is included and the cancellation terms.
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Step 4: Sort out arrival and getting around
Trains and coaches arrive at the edge of the city centre, the airport is at Dyce on the north-western side, and ferries to Orkney and Shetland leave from the harbour. Most of the centre is walkable; the countryside is easiest by car, though buses and trains reach Deeside and Stonehaven.
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Step 5: Pencil in an evening or two
Check what is on before you fix your dates: a touring show, a concert, an exhibition or a home match can make the trip — and can also fill rooms across the city. These are the venues this guide covers, each with its own page of history and visitor notes.
Venues covered by this guide Venue Area Typical events Aberdeen Art Gallery City centre Changing exhibitions His Majesty's Theatre City centre Touring drama The Music Hall City centre / West End edge Orchestral and choral concerts P&J Live North-west edge of the city, near Aberdeen Airport Large concerts Aberdeen Maritime Museum City centre / harbour Permanent displays on shipbuilding Duthie Park & David Welch Winter Gardens Ferryhill, south of the city centre Open parkland Dunnottar Castle Kincardineshire coast, south of Stonehaven Self-guided visits to a ruined fortress Pittodrie Stadium Between the city centre and the beach Professional football matches and occasional other events 
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Step 6: Plan one day out of the city
Aberdeen is the gateway to the Highlands of the North-East. Within an hour or two you can stand in a clifftop castle, walk a Deeside village, tour a tower house or step into the Cairngorms National Park. Pick one big day out and plan its transport in advance.
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Step 7: Leave room for the coast, the granite and the table
Some of the best moments are unplanned: dolphins at the harbour mouth, a buttery warm from the bakery, sunlight catching the granite on Union Street. Keep part of each day free for walking the city and the shore, and for trying the local food.
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Step 8: Pack and check the practical bits
A windproof layer whatever the season, offline maps for the hills, a little cash for rural stops, and a final check of opening days, timetables and the forecast. Then you are ready to go.
Field notes board — latest travel notes
No.PostedNoteAbout
Before you start
Quick answers to the questions most first-time visitors ask.
Where is Aberdeen?
Aberdeen is on the north-east coast of Scotland, between the mouths of the rivers Dee and Don. It is Scotland's third-largest city, and the hills of Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms National Park lie to the west.
Why use Aberdeen as a base?
The city combines a walkable granite centre, a sandy beach and a working harbour with good rail, road and air links. Castles, coastal villages and mountain glens are all within a day trip, which makes it a practical gateway to the Highlands of the North-East.
Is this a hotel website?
No. Highland Stays is an independent guide. It does not take bookings, does not list or recommend individual hotels, and is not affiliated with any hotel, accommodation provider, venue or tourism body. See the about page for more.
How long should I stay?
Two days covers the city itself; three or four lets you add a day on Deeside or the coast and an evening at a venue. A week allows a proper loop through castle country and the Cairngorms.