Step 2 · Choose your base
Footdee: the fishing village at the harbour mouth
Fittie, as locals call it, is a tiny cluster of squares and sheds where the harbour meets the beach.
What is Footdee?
Footdee — pronounced and often written "Fittie" — is a small former fishing village at the eastern tip of the city, where the harbour channel opens into the North Sea. Its rows of low cottages are arranged around squares, a layout planned in the early nineteenth century to rehouse fishing families. Over time residents filled the squares with sheds, gardens and painted outbuildings, which give the village its distinctive, slightly improvised look. It is a living community, so visitors are asked to be respectful of residents' homes and privacy.
Why go?
Footdee is one of the most atmospheric corners of the city, and it sits right at the junction of two of Aberdeen's best walks: the harbour quays heading west into the centre, and the beach esplanade running north. At the harbour mouth, bottlenose dolphins are regularly seen feeding as the tide moves in the channel, and ships slip in and out past the breakwaters. Across the water lie Torry Battery and Girdle Ness lighthouse, both reached on the coast walk round the southern side of the harbour.
Staying nearby
There are few places to stay within Footdee itself, but the beach area and the eastern end of the centre are close. A stay in this part of the city suits visitors who want sea air, early-morning walks and a quieter evening, while still being twenty to thirty minutes' walk from Union Street.
- Getting there: walk east along the harbour from the Maritime Museum, or south along the esplanade from the beach.
- Dolphin watching: the harbour mouth and Torry Battery are the usual spots. Sightings are never guaranteed; bring patience and binoculars.
- Respect: the squares are residential — keep voices down and do not enter private gardens or sheds.
A short loop
From the Castlegate, walk down to the harbour and follow the quays east to Footdee. Wander the squares, then step out onto the beach and follow the esplanade north as far as you like before turning inland towards Pittodrie and King Street. Allow an hour and a half for the full circuit, longer if the dolphins are showing. Our field note on walking from Footdee to Girdle Ness describes the longer route round the harbour.