From Wikitravel

For other places with the same name, see Aberdeen (disambiguation).

Aberdeen (Scottish Gaelic: Obar Dheathain) is Scotland's third largest city, with a population of over 215,000. Aberdeen is the county town of Aberdeenshire, and the chief seaport in the north-east of Scotland.

Aberdeen is commonly referred to variously as "the Granite City", "the Rainbow City" or the "Silver City" on account of the grey, occasionally sparkling building stone used in older buildings in the city; and the "Flower of Scotland", Aberdeen long having been famous for outstanding parks, gardens and floral displays. These days, Aberdeen also boasts the title of Oil Capital of Europe thanks to the supply of crude oil in the North Sea, and stands on a bay of the North Sea, between the mouths of the rivers Don and Dee.

[edit] Understand

Aberdeen is a relatively small city - quite a bit smaller than Glasgow or Edinburgh. It has a harbour and pleasant beach. It has a distinct identity from other Scottish cities, especially the two largest in the Central Belt. It has some of the oldest university buildings in Europe (King's College was founded in 1495), and its citizens were fond of boasting in centuries gone by that Aberdeen had as many universities (Marischal and King's) as all of England (Oxford and Cambridge). After the discovery of oil in the North Sea, the city expanded greatly and several new suburbs were formed. The city has seen continued growth ever since, and a range of new developments are planned over the next few years. The district of Bridge of Don has become, in just thirty years, one of the largest suburbs in Europe, and is one of many areas of the city which retain the feel of a village in parts. Perhaps the best examples of this are the line of suburbs stretching towards Royal Deeside, including Cults and Peterculter.

[edit] Talk

Although English is spoken, in many parts of Scotland accents and local dialects can seem confusing to visitors, even native English speakers.

The local Aberdeen dialect is Doric, which is very different from what is heard in other parts of Scotland. Upon first hearing it, the distinctive accent may seem utterly impenetrable, even to other Scots. It has its origins in the farming communities nearby and is not spoken as widely as it used to be. Gaelic is not widely spoken at all.

However, there is still a good chance you will encounter the dialect on your travels, so here are a few commonly used words with translations:

• "Fit like?" - A greeting, essentially, "How are you doing?".
• "Nae bad yersel?" - A reply, essentially, "Not bad, yourself?".
• "Fit?" - "What?".
• "Fa?" - "Who?".
• "Far?" - "Where?".
• "Fan?"- "When?".
• "Aye" - "Yes".
• "Na'" - "No" (usually, an n sound followed by a vowel constitutes "no".
• "Wee" - "Little", though this famous Doric word has become common in other areas worldwide nowadays.
• "Dinnae ken/Da ken" - "Don't know".
• "H'min" - "Excuse me good sir?"
• "far aboot ye fae?" where are you from?
• "ben a/eh hoose" - "Through the house/in the other room"
• "gie" - "give"
• "guy" - "very"

If you politely suggest you don't understand, almost all Doric speakers will be able to regulate their dialect and adopt more standard English to converse with you. It should be noted that only a very few actually talk in broad Doric (which is almost unintelligible, even to most Scots), but the accent and dialect will influence the language of many more local people to some degree or another. A good number will have no traces of it whatsoever in their speech, particularly in the middle and upper social classes.

In most of the north east, meals are named differently from other areas. The first meal of the day is breakfast. The second meal of the dayis dinner, sometimes pronounced "daenner", but, however it is said, it is usually very easy to recognise.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Aberdeen-Dyce Airport is situated 7 miles from the city centre. The airport offers a wide range of domestic and short haul European international flights. Buses run from the airport to the city centre throughout the day. The nearest railway station is Dyce (which is now connected via an Airlink bus 06:45 - 19:00 Mon-Fri, £1.50 each way), and connects to stations in Aberdeen and Inverness. Taxis are available outside the terminal and will cost around £20 to Aberdeen City Centre.

Major hub destinations include London-Heathrow (10 daily), Paris-CDG (3 daily) and Amsterdam (3 daily). Domestic destinations include Birmingham, Norwich, London-Luton (2-3 daily), London-Gatwick (3 daily), Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Newcastle. Other routes heavily cater to the oil industry including Scatsta-Shetland (12 charter flights daily), Stavanger (10 daily), Oslo (6 weekly). Occasional longer distance holiday flights also operate on a seasonal basis.

Direct services between Aberdeen and Baku, Azerbaijan commenced in 2011 with Azerbaijan Airlines.

The list of destinations can be found on the airport's website [1]

[edit] By train

Aberdeen Station is located right in the middle of town, next to the Harbour and Bus Station, slightly down from Union Street, the main thoroughfare. Services come from the South via Perth and the North to Elgin, Inverness and similar places.

The three main operators serving Aberdeen are:

• East Coast, [2]. Three direct trains a day serve the major east coast cities (Edinburgh, Newcastle, York and terminate in London (King's Cross).)
• ScotRail, [3]. Serves all the major Scottish hubs, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Inverness. The Caledonian Sleeper to London (Euston) leaves every night except Saturdays at around 20.30.
• CrossCountry, [4]. Serves a range of destinations on the Cross-Country route, including Carlisle, Manchester and Birmingham. Some services stretch all the way down to Penzance in South West England - the UK's longest train journey.

[edit] By boat

Ferries operated by NorthLink [5] arrive at Aberdeen harbour from Lerwick and Kirkwall.

[edit] By car

Aberdeen lies halfway along the main A90 trunk road that hugs the eastern, North Sea coast of Scotland between Edinburgh, Dundee and Peterhead. With relative ease this permits access by car from points across Britain.

Note that the Dundee to Aberdeen section of the A90 has a large number of fixed speed cameras, and due to some of the dangerous junctions on the route which have not yet been upgraded - it is often heavily patrolled by mobile speed camera vans and unmarked police cars.

From Aberdeen, the A96 runs roughly north-west over the Gordon Highlands to Elgin and Inverness.

It is also possible to rent a car in Aberdeen from well known companies such as Avis and Hertz and other local companies such as Logan Car Hire [6]

[edit] Get around

[edit] On Foot

[edit] Pedestrian Maps

There are quite a few of these located around the city centre, mainly in points of interest. They are very useful for navigating the rather random layout of the city centre and also give details of where to go to catch a particular bus.

Aberdeen walking directions [7] can be planned online with the walkit.com [8] walking route planner.

[edit] By train

Aberdeen does not have a particularly good rail service to the local outlying areas, but it does exist (there's talk of a Crossrail but that's years off). The station is on Guild Street next to the bus station (just south of Union Street). The local services run to:

Dyce - On the north west of the city along the Inverness line. This is an option for travelling to the airport, but you have to catch a taxi (these are generally easily available but a bit pricey). Believe it or not, the cheap day return (£2.60) is slightly cheaper than catching the bus (£2.70 for a day pass). This is certainly a preferable way to travel in rush hour too as the journey time is 10 minutes as opposed to the hour+ it takes on the bus. There are plenty of trains, though the frequency is quite scattered. The station is located just off the main street.

Inverurie - The next stop up the line from Dyce. Trains are less frequent than to Dyce, but the service has benefitted recently from the addition of some extra journeys. The station is located a short walk from the town centre.

Portlethen - The first stop south on the Dundee/Glasgow/Edinburgh line. There are extremely few services stopping here outwith rush hour. The station is on the east of the town on the road to the old village. A walk from here to the main shopping area will take you around 10-15 minutes, there are buses that run every 20 minutes just outside the station if you need to use them.

Stonehaven - The next stop down from Portlethen. Trains are fairly frequent (at least once an hour). Buses to Stonehaven centre depart from the hotel across from the station, or you can walk. (takes 10-20 minutes depending on your speed)

[edit] By bus

Aberdeen has a fairly decent bus network, though it is expensive to use (there are no multi-operator tickets either). The city is served by 2 operators First [9] and Stagecoach [10]. On the whole, buses are modern and fairly comfortable with a few dinosaurs still doing the rounds. If you are connecting buses, it should be noted that you'll probably have to change in the city centre as that's where the majority of services run through/terminate.

First's services are entirely within the city boundary, although they do serve the suburbs of Dyce, Cults & Culter and Kingswells. The network "branded as The Overground" is based on a colour-coded system with all the main lines having a colour while the "less important" lines are left grey on the map, which is in the style of that of the London Underground. This makes it fairly easy to find your way around. Services begin around 5AM and end close to midnight with night services run at weekends (currently run at a flat fare of £2.20 single).

Fares are based on a fare-stage system and cost from 70p for a short journey to £1.60 for a longer one. Day passes are available for £3 (£2.70 after 9AM). Show a valid student ID for a discount on the day pass (£2.00).

First also run the popular (and rightly so) Park & Ride[11] (National Park and Ride Directory) from Kingswells (just off A944) and Bridge of Don (off A90). The Bridge of Don service runs from the Exhibition and Conference Centre, which is easy to spot on the main northbound road. Parking is free, and the service costs £3 (per person) for a return journey to anywhere along the route. Up to two under 16s go free when accompanied. Day passes are available for purchase if you are planning to change buses.

Stagecoach run the services to outside the city boundary. Locations closer to Aberdeen generally have more frequent services (for example, a 15 minute frequency to the suburb of Westhill) than those farther out. In addition to this, they run 1 service wholly within the city boundary (the 59). For single fares, Stagecoach are generally a cheaper option within the city than First, but they lack the frequency and network of First. Fares are based on destination, but there is a day pass called the Explorer which, for £11, allows you unlimited use of the entire Stagecoach network in the area (as far out as Montrose or Peterhead for example).

[edit] By taxi

Taxis are widely available from a number of ranks dotted around the city centre. The main ranks are located on Back Wynd, Market Street and the railway station. There are more located further up Union Street, they're easy enough to spot. Taxis can be difficult to come by at night due to a shortage of them (ranks are patrolled by marshals at night on special nights) and can be difficult to flag down on the street as many drivers do not give any indication if they're available for hire and will not pick up groups of males. To call for a taxi, phone ComCab at 01224-35 35 35. Fares are high, but always by the meter price and regulated by the Aberdeen City Council and last revised in November 2008.

[edit] By bicycle

Due to the many narrow roads and inadequate lane provisions, this can be rather treacherous at times. Cycle lanes are appearing as are cycle "boxes" at traffic lights so the situation is getting better for those who cycle. It's getting easier to park a cycle too, the council are beginning to provide loops for chaining bikes to within the city centre streets and within the municipal multi-storey car parks.

It is possible to cycle from Aberdeen city centre to Peterculter along the Old Deeside Railway line. The line begins just outside Duthie Park and passes through Garthdee, Cults, Bieldside and Milltimber before ending at Station Road. It is mostly paved with very few breaks where it is necessary to cross the road. It is very scenic and relaxing, and is also used by people walking dogs, riding horses, other cyclists, and other people just enjoying a stroll so being courteous is a must. There are signs placed along the line with bits of history about the line and how it came to be.

[edit][add listing] See

• Aberdeen Art Gallery [12] Schoolhill. Tel: 01224 523700, [13] Open Tuesday-Saturday 10.00AM-5.00PM, Sunday 2.00PM-5.00PM. The Aberdeen Art Gallery is set in a Victorian building with an exquisite marble and granite main hall. In the several large rooms there are housed paintings and sculptures numbering in the hundreds, featuring Impressionist pieces as well as modern art and works by the Scottish Colourists. There is also a display of antique silverware and decorative pieces. There are also numerous special exhibits by many acclaimed artists, a recent example being Quentin Blake. For those who like art, an afternoon could easily be spent here, but at least a quick browse is well worth it for anyone. Admission free.

• The Gordon Highlanders Museum [14] St. Lukes Viewfield Road. Tel: 01224 311200, [15]. Open first Tuesday in April to last Sunday in October, Tuesday-Saturday 10.30AM-4.30PM, Su 1.30PM-4.30PM (last admission 4PM). November-March open by appointment only. Closed Mondays. At the Gordon Highlanders Museum you can re-live the compelling and dramatic story of one of the British Army's most famous regiments, through the lives of its outstanding personalities and of the kilted soldiers of the North East of Scotland who filled its ranks. Exhibits include a real Nazi flag from Hitler's staff car, and there is a small cinema where you can watch a film on the history of the regiment. For the younger visitors there are a number of uniforms to try on, and there is also a coffee shop. For those interested in military history this small gem is a must. Admission: Adults: £2.50, Children: £1.00, Seniors: £1.50, Closed season: £3.00.

• The Maritime Museum [16] Shiprow. Tel: 01224 337700, [17]. Open Tuesday-Saturday 10.00AM-5.00PM, Sunday 12.00PM-3.00PM. This attraction, rated five-star by the Scottish Tourist Board, offers an extraordinary insight into the mechanics and technology of ships and oil rigs, Aberdeen's rich maritime history and the lives of some of the people who have worked offshore in the North Sea for the past 500 years. The newest part of the complex is a blue, glass-fronted building on the cobbled Shiprow, just minutes from Union Street. Inside is a spiral walkway, rising upwards around an eye-catching model of an oil rig. Connected to this structure are the much older buildings which take visitors through a series of castle-style corridors and staircases to reach the numerous room sets, historical artefacts and scale models. If your time in Aberdeen is limited, go and see this. There is so much to see, and even the buildings themselves are worth a look. There is also a restaurant - slightly expensive, but the food is pretty good. Admission free.

• The Marischal Museum [18] Broad Street (entrance through arch). Tel: 01224 274301, [19] Open Monday-Friday 10.00AM-5.00PM, Sunday 2.00PM-5.00PM. The museum is currently closed until mid-2010 due to the extensive building work being performed to convert Marischal College into the Aberdeen City Council headquarters. Covering 8000 years of local and world history, this generally undiscovered museum houses the results of numerous expeditions by local people over the past two centuries. The collection, spread over several floors in the stunning Marischal College building, includes pieces from such diverse locations as the Balkans and Tibet. As well as the varied international exhibits, the museum also presents an insightful look at the history of the north-east of Scotland under the banner of The Encyclopaedia of the North-East. Very worthwhile, and considering the range of excellent displays the free admission seems all the better. Admission free.

• Footdee (commonly known by the Doric name "Fitty") A former fishing village absorbed by the city. Located at the foot of the River Dee (hence the name) this area is a laid back cluster of traditional, small, quaint houses and quirky outhouses.

• Old Aberdeen The oldest part of the city and location of Aberdeen University's King's College Campus. Laid back with many old buildings. The near by St. Machar Cathedral is steeped in history and worth a visit. Old Aberdeen's sights are located around the High Street, the Channory and to a lesser extent Don Street. The nearby Seaton Park is also popular but should be avoided at night.

[edit][add listing] Do

The nearest Aberdeen has to a Bohemian Quarter is centred around Belmont Street, halfway down Union St. It has many nice bars, live music venues, a couple of second-hand book stores and an arthouse cinema, named The Belmont.

• Satrosphere Science Centre (Aberdeen Science Centre), The Tramsheds, 179 Constitution Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5TU, ☎ 01224 640340, [20]. Satrosphere Science Centre is Scotland’s first science and discovery centre, and first opened to the public in 1988. The centre has over 50 hands-on interactive exhibits and live science shows, which inspire the scientist within as well as entertain the whole family. It is primarily aimed as towards Children.  edit

[edit] Sport

If you feel like a workout, a massage or a fun-filled swim, the Beach Leisure Centre [21] on the Beach Promenade is worth a visit. Access to the gymnasium is £4.40 (over 18's only). The swimming pool offers a wide range of attractions, including water slides, rapids and waves, and is suitable for the whole family. These are the admission prices:

• Adult: £3.10
• Child: £1.55
• Student: £1.55
• Family: £7.40
• 5 flume rides: £1.90
• 10 flume rides: £3.15

If speculating is more your thing, why not go and watch Aberdeen's home grown, Scottish Premier League football (soccer) team Aberdeen Football Club (or "The Dons") at work at their home ground of Pittodrie [22]?

Aberdeen's long beaches are also ideal for water sports such as surfing, windsurfing and Kitesurfing.

[edit] Theatre/Concerts

If you want to go and see a show or a concert, there are four main venues in Aberdeen, each a distinct and atmospheric setting for any kind of performance:

• The Music Hall [23] on Union Street offers most of the classical music events, but is becoming a more popular venue for other forms of music.
• His Majesty's Theatre [24] on Rosemount Viaduct plays host to the vast majority of musicals and plays which visit Aberdeen. Recent examples include the famous Miss Saigon. If you are in town over the Christmas period with children, a trip to a showing of the annual pantomime is a must!
• The Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) [25] on the A90 (in Bridge of Don) is the venue for most of Aberdeen's pop and rock concerts. In frequent years wrestling has been a fixture as well. The venue has recently been dramatically expanded, and most functions are now held in the brand new building. If you are stuck for finding the AECC, look for the tall viewing tower, a fixture of the new structure. It is easily visible from most points close to the River Don.
• The Lemon Tree [26] was once regarded as a rather "fringe" venue, and indeed it still is the launching platform for many alternative acts, but the sheer variety of talent on display (blues, rock, comedy and dance, to name but a few genres) rivals that of the three venues above. The interesting location creates a great atmosphere, and is one of the main venues for the annual International Jazz Festival (see below).

[edit] Learn

• University of Aberdeen, [27]. One of the oldest universities in the UK, it is renowned for its teaching and research.  edit

• The Robert Gordon University (RGU), [28]. Awarded university status in 1992, this university has very strong ties with industry and has a high level of graduate employment.  edit

• Aberdeen College, [29]. The largest further education college in Scotland, it has campuses within the city and without.  edit

[edit][add listing] Buy

The main street in Aberdeen is Union Street. It is wide and around a mile long with beautiful buildings on each side. It appears a bit worn and is mainly filled with standard Scottish high street shops. However it is worth a walk. Local independents include Nova on Chapel Street but sadly, Esslemont and Mackintosh, an independent department store, closed in 2007.

Aberdeen has a number of covered central shopping centers including the Bon Accord Centre (general high street shops), which is linked to the St. Nicholas Centre (general high street shops), The Academy (boutique shops), Trinity Centre (general high street shops) and the newly opened Union Square (general high street shops/boutique shops and with a variety of places to eat inside the centre) [30]

The city has all the department stores and high street shops you would expect in any modern Scottish urban area, clustered around the centres above and along the mile-long Union Street. The table below is a guide on where to find some of the major shops, and what they specialise in.

• John Lewis, Bon Accord Centre/George Street, department store
• Debenhams, Trinity Centre, department store
• Marks and Spencer, St. Nicholas Square (off Union Street) & Union Square, department store and supermarket
• BHS, Union Street, department store
• Next, St. Nicholas Centre, Union Square & Berryden Retail Park, clothing and homewares
• Primark, Union Street, clothing and homewares
• New Look, Bon Accord Centre and Union Square, clothing
• GAP, St. Nicholas Square, clothing
• H&M, Union Street & Union Square, clothing
• Zara, Union Square, clothing
• Waterstones, Union Street, books and educational guides
• HMV, Trinity Centre/Union Street, music, movies and games
• One Up, Belmont Street, brilliant independent music store
• Forbidden Planet, Belmont Street, Science Fiction store

When shopping, don't be limited to the malls and chain stores! Aberdeen has a vast collection of small, tucked-away shops which can provide everything from Bohemian dressware to Indian furniture. If you are adventurous enough then you may uncover a hidden wonder.

• Ethnic Style, Schoolhill road (Outside of Bon Accords Main entrance). Fairtrade clothing and other assorted items from fairtrade suppliers  edit

[edit][add listing] Eat

Aberdeen has hundreds of restaurants, catering for every taste, to choose from. As with shops, there are well-known, easy to spot places, and out of the way ones. However, we'll leave the exploring up to you. Here is a list of more popular haunts in the central area, sorted by "cuisine":

If you want a lunchtime soup or sandwich try the Beautiful Mountain or Books and Beans on Belmont Street. Both are popular because of their good soup, sandwiches and atmosphere.

• Earl Of Sandwich, Market Street. The best sandwich shop in town playing the best music in town. Moving soon to just around the corner on 'The Green', the original village centre of Aberdeen.
• Pizza Express, Union Street. A very good menu with great food. Modern setting. Not the cheapest, but reasonable.
• Lahore Karahi, King Street. A relatively new entrant to the established Aberdonian Curry Houses, Lahore Karahi offers arguably the most authentic Pakistani/Indian cuisine, and at the best of prices too.
• Musa art and music cafe, 33 Exchange St. A great restaurant/cafe/art gallery with the best food in Aberdeen and sometimes with live music
• La Lombarda, 2-8 King Street. One of Aberdeen's most popular Italians, and with good reason. Good location next to Castlegate. Claims to be oldest italian restaurant aorund but food is far from beign 'good'italian. It's more english style italian version.
• Little Italy, 79 Holborn Street. A bit pricey, but a wonderfully rustic decor makes for great atmosphere. A bit out of the way.
• KURY, 22-24 King Street. Consistent rave reviews make this Indian restaurant a hotspot. Slightly overpriced, but it's worth it.
• The Royal Thai, [31]. The oldest Thai restaurant in Aberdeen and it shows in how exceptional the food is.  edit
• Yatai, 73-75 Skene Street, a short walk from Union street. Small and a little expensive, but excellent Japanese food including Sushi.
• Chinatown, 11 Dee Street, just off Union Street. Great Chinese food along with nice, vibrant decor and a bar make this restaurant highly recommended.
• Jimmy Chung's, 401-405 Union Street.
• Yu, 347 Union Street. Reasonably-priced food. Good, but nothing to shout about. Convenient location.
• The Illicit Still, off Broad Street. Sensibly priced pub grub.
• The Bassment, Windmill Brae, off Union Street. Really good American grill reasonably priced. Also do excellent cocktails, served with more than a little flare!
• The Beautiful Mountain, Belmont Street. Fine sandwiches, soups, smoothies and Sunday breakfasts!
• Kilau, Little Belmont Street. Crepes, sandwiches, coffee, art and Irish Tony!
• Nazma Tandoori, Bridge Street. Alongside the Blue Moon, Holburn Street, this is the most authentic and finest Indian restaurant in Aberdeen.

[edit][add listing] Drink

Like any Scottish city Aberdeen has its fair share of bars and nightclubs. There are hundreds of licensed premises in the city to choose from that cater for every taste. Due to the large student population there are always student deals around to find if you want them, that often extend to everyone and not just those with student cards.

The usual and most approachable starting point for a night out is Belmont Street. It houses several bars and nightclubs.

• Triple Kirks [Exodus Nightclub]. An excellent student & local drinking hole and part of the ScreamPubs chain. Save money with a yellow card. Exodus focuses on Indie/Alternative and Classic Rock, Pop & Soul.
• Revolution Bar. Part of the Revolution chain specialising in cocktails. Has a wonderful smoking terrace out the back.
• The Wild Boar. A quieter setting, sometimes with acoustic live music. Known for its wine selection.
• Siberia (or Vodka Bar). 99 flavours of Vodka and a smoking terrace out the back.
• Cafe Drummond's. A small late-licence venue which focuses on live bands.
• O'Neils. Irish themed pub with a nightclub upstairs.
• Ma Camerons. The oldest pub in the city. Shows live football in a traditional pub setting with a roof garden.
• Old School House. A quieter pub near Belmont Street.
• Slain's Castle. A highlight of Aberdeen's pub scene. An old church converted into a gothic style pub. Famous for it's Seven Deadly Sins cocktails. Hallowe'en is a particularly eventful night here.
• Enigma. Located in the Academy Shopping centre, with a secluded licenced courtyard.
• Robert Gordon's University Student Union. Located at the end of Belmont Street near Aberdeen Art Gallerly and Robert Gordon's College. It is the only student union bar in Aberdeen. Highlights include cheaper drinks on a Monday, pool tables and a low prices.

All of the above bars serve a variety of food at reasonable pub prices, with the exception of Cafe Drummond's.

One street along from Belmont Street, is Liquid Nightclub. Located on Bridge Place, this is by far Aberdeen's biggest nightclub and regularly features guest DJs. Entry is usually around £5 it has discounted drinks every night. Also nearby is Espionage, catering for a slightly older market. No door charge, but full price drinks.

On either side of Belmont Street and you'll find many other pubs:

• The Prince of Wales St Nicholas Square, Just off of Union Street. Boasting one of the longest bars in Aberdeen and eight Real Ale pumps, sometimes called the "PoW" or quite simply the "Prince", this pub is one of the hidden gems of Aberdeen packed with locals, oil workers and Students alike. They keep their beer exceedingly well.
• Soul in the converted Langstane Kirk. Uppermarket.
• The Moorings which can be found by heading down Market Street and turning left when you get to the harbour, is probably the finest watering hole for those of a rock'n'roll persuasion. Regular live music nights (both local and touring bands), a welcoming atmosphere and Aberdeen's best jukebox make this a must for any visiting rockers. The pub's logo, a mermaid twined round a Flying V guitar, features on T shirts for sale behind the bar.
• Tonic Very cheap and popular, especially during the week.
• Paramount Next to Tonic and very similar.
• Korova Bar Two floors, rock and alternative music, very popular.
• Prohibtion Mainstream.
• Society Two floors, renowned for it's cocktails.

Major Nightclubs in Aberdeen include:

• Tiger Tiger One of the most popular clubs in the city.
• Espionage Expensive, popular with the black community.
• Snafu Small indie club, generally cheap and student geared.
• Liquid Large and mainstreme. Reasonably priced.
• Priory Renowned as Aberdeen's most violent nightclub. Small and dingy, not popular with locals.
• Korova Klub Rock and alternative club beneath a bar of the same name. Cheap and large.
• Aurum As a rule, expensive and mainstreme.
• Exodus As a rule, cheap with very vaired music. Tuesday nigths (which feature soul, motown tc. music) are particularly popular.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• The Mariner Hotel, 349 Great Western Road, ☎ 01224 588901, [32]. A cozy hotel in Aberdeen's pretty west end. Rates from 70 pounds to 150 (for couple suite). The hotel features an amazing restaurant with excellent options both for meat-lovers and vegetarians. 70-150.  edit
• Aberdeen Youth Hostel[33], 8 Queen's Road, AB15 4ZT. Tel: 0870 004 1100. A SYHA Hostel in a historic building near the city centre.
• The Marcliffe at Pitfoddels, North Deeside Road, Pitfodels, AB15 9YA [34] is a 5 star hotel just outside the city center with a Spa and conference facilities
• Mercure Ardoe House, South Deeside Road, Blairs, AB12 5YP Phone: +44 (0)1224 860600 is set in a Victorian mansion house, that looks somewhat like a castle. It is located just outside of town.
• Skene House, 6 Union Grove, AB10 6SY, Phone: +44 (0)1224 580000 has three hotels in the town, all set in old tenement blocks. Each room has its own kitchen and living room and is basically an apartment that is run like a hotel.
• Malmaison Aberdeen, 53 Queens Road, AB15 4YP, Phone: +44 (0)1224 321371, formerly the Queens Hotel.
• Hilton Treetops Hotel, 161 Springfield Road, Cragiebuckler, AB15 7AQ Phone: +44 (0)1224 313377 is a large comfortable hotel located in a suburb of Aberdeen
• Doubletree by Hilton Aberdeen City Centre, Beach Boulevard, AB24 5EF Phone: +44 (0)1224 633339 Not to be confused with the above, it is a large hotel and leisure club located in the centre of Aberdeen beside the Beach
• The Grill, Union Street (Opposite the Music Hall). A small severely plain interior, but a haven for a whisky connoisseur; whiskies from Scotland and around the world. Tasting menu available  edit
• Park Inn Hotel Aberdeen, 1 Justice Mill Lane, AB11 6EQ, ☎ +44 (0) 1224 592 999      , [35]. Newly built hotel, opened August 2010  edit

[edit] Stay safe

Common sense makes sure that your visit to Aberdeen is trouble free. Petty thefts are not much of a problem, and Aberdeen has a low crime rate. However, a few places are wise to avoid, Tillydrone (from the North of Bedford Road) and Torry (the South Bank of River Dee), as those two places have relatively higher crime rate within the city.

Beggars rarely bother people more than asking them for spare change or a cigarette. They can just be ignored.

There is a big rivalry between Aberdeen and Rangers football clubs. However, a big police presence on match days nowadays ensures minimal trouble in and around the ground and city centre.

Avoid driving in the beach area after around 9pm: the area is a magnet for socially-deprived "boy racer" types, who display little road-sense and take over the area at night in intimidating fashion. These drivers are locally refered to as "bullycruisers".

As with any other major UK city, alcohol related violence is present.

[edit] Get out

Aberdeen is a good location to stay if you want to see castles, play golf or go on a distillery trail. Within 30 miles you can visit Crathes, Drum and Dunottar Castles.

The Malt Whisky Trail route is about 30 miles north and involves a number of distilleries including the Glenfiddich and Glen Grant tours.

If you want to play golf, the Royal Aberdeen golf course was founded in 1790 and is the sixth oldest in the world and the Royal Deeside course in the River Dee's valley are both excellent.

The nearby town of Stonehaven is a popular location for visitors. It features an art deco outdoor pool and a pleasent seafront. The nearby Dunottar Castle is extremely popular.

The "Royal Deeside" area is also popular. Towns such as Aboyne, Ballater and Braemar are worth a visit. Balmoral Castle is very popular due to it's Royal connection.

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