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Aberdeen hotels

Overview                    Prepare                    Get Around                    Highlights

Hotels in Aberdeen provide accommodation in a city that blends two distinct ways of life - that of the offshore oil workers and that of the university students - into a unique social mix.  Aberdeen hotels range from top class luxury hotels down to simple budget rooms, and provide for all standards of hotel in between.

Hotels within Aberdeen city centre are best placed to experience the ambience and the busy nightlife...

Hotels within the city centre are best placed to experience the ambience and the busy nightlife, whereas further out the hotels will be quieter and more tranquil.  Some suburban hotels offer spa facilities and conference facilities.

Many of the hotels here have unique architectural heritages - there are hotels in revamped and restored tenement blocks, and a hotel set in a Victorian mansion house that actually seems more like a castle.

Cheap hotels in Aberdeen are best sourced using our price comparison facility, before booking in advance to reserve your hotel rooms in this small but special city.

Overview

Overview

Aberdeen and the Grampian Highlands are like local lassie Annie Lennox: groomed, rich and beautiful, elegantly energetic, at times remote and wild, but always captivating. A Eurythmics song in the making – all romance, grit and grandeur.

See

Admire the royal palace of Balmoral or the humble preserved fishing village of Footdee (pronounced Fittie), follow the Castle Trail or build one in the sand along endless stretches of golden beach. Get high in the Cairngorm Mountains or into the real spirit of things along the only malt whisky trail in the world.
New

Indulge in a wee dram at Glen Garioch (pronounced geery) Distillery and Visitor Centre or, from late autumn 2006, get the adrenalin pumping on the aerial assault course of Skytrek at Crathes Castle.
Spend

The ‘Granite Mile' of Union Street is home to many top high-street names while shops selling the more localised wares of kilts, cashmere cardigans and single malt whiskies are tucked into its side streets and at Speyside.
Get Out

Make the most of the long days in one of many award-winning green spaces such as Duthie Park, home to a huge indoor garden. Aberdonians run to the hills of nearby Bennachie and slope off to the ski-fields of Glensheeand The Lecht at any time of year. Seventy golf courses, dozens of fisheries and a wealth of watersports at the beach make it hard to stay indoors.
Culture

The Blue Lamp hosts traditional folk music as does the The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen's all-year festival fringe venue. Aberdeen Arts Centre showcases amateur theatre while recently refurbished His Majesty's Theatre stages the big West End shows. Rock and pop bands pump up the volume in the Exhibition and Conference Centre; and orchestras play at Cowdray Hall and the Music Hall.
Eat & Drink

Where better to sample Aberdeen Angus beef, fresh seafood, and the finest whisky? Splash out on trout, salmon and game in gracious manor house hotels in the western suburbs and Moray; sample international flavours from Thai to French in the city centre; and wet your whistle with one of the dozens of world-famous whiskies produced in Speyside.
New Perspective

Walk over the River Dee to Torry Battery and take in panoramic views of city spires, the harbour and the restless North Sea.

Prepare

Prepare

In winter, pack extra woollies and waterproofs to ward off the chill; in summer, a raincoat and a smile as you realise you are getting a longer day than any other British city. Arm yourself with plenty of film for the Aurora Borealis and bottle-nosed dolphins – this is the best place in the UK to spot both.

Aberdeen Year

Aberdonians love a fling – a Highland fling, that is. Highland Games season (May-Sep) attracts celebrities to the Lonach Gathering and Games and royalty to the Braemar Gathering. Sample local food and drink at the Taste of Grampian festival (Jun). Get into the spirit of things at the Speyside Whisky Festival (May) and light up your Hogmanay (31 December) at the Stonehaven Fireball Ceremony.
Public Holidays

New Year's Day, 2 Jan, Spring Bank Holiday (April/May), 1 May, Summer Bank Holiday (Jul), Autumn Holiday (Sep), Christmas Day (25 Dec), Boxing Day (26 Dec).
Weather

May-Sep is the best time of year to visit, when the days are long and mild (15°C-22°C) and the city looks its blooming best. Expect crisp, cold, blustery days with plenty of snow in the winter. Temperatures can drop to freezing point in January but factor in wind chill and it can feel much colder.
Electricity

240V AC, 50 Hz, three-pin plugs are standard.
Dialling Code

+44 (national), (0) 1224 + 6-figure number (Aberdeen).
Money

Pound sterling (£) is the currency.
GMT

Precisely (+1 in British summertime).
Aberdeen Tourist Information

Visit Aberdeen and Grampian Tourist Board website

Fit In

Aberdeen is all about comfort over cutting edge – a warm coat and umbrella are never out of place. As local comedian Billy Connolly says: "There's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing."

Get Around

Get Around

Nestling by the sea in a gloriously green corner of Scotland, Aberdeen is compact and easily navigable by foot. Hiring a car is the way to go for exploring the surrounding glens and dramatic coastline.

Most attractions are clustered in the centre and in Old Aberdeen. With everything only a short distance away, getting around is easy for even the first-timer.

Union Street in the centre is bursting with 800 shops, restaurants, pubs, and most of the cultural venues. A few kilometres north lies Old Aberdeen, the River Don, and the 260km Coastal Trail. Travel east to the busy beach and Footdee, or west by car for the Cairngorm Mountains and the verdant glen of Royal Deeside.
Foot

Aberdeen is designed to be seen on (a comfortably-shod) foot, weather permitting. Even the most sedentary person can get around its level and compact centre. Outside the city, walking trails abound in the hills and along the coastline.
Car

It makes sense to hire a car for exploring beyond the city. Watch your intake if you're doing the Whisky and Castle Trail.
Bus

A new hop-on, hop-off bus tour takes visitors to Aberdeen's main sights. First Aberdeen and Stagecoach Bluebird run services throughout the city and beyond.
Taxi

Plentiful and reasonably priced, taxis can be hailed on the street or at ranks dotted about the centre.
Bike

A popular and relatively safe way of getting around the city and into the nearby countryside. There are several bike hire shops.
Transport Tips

Driving in the centre is easy and generally congestion-free. However, parking can be problematic as well as pricey, so the bus is often a better bet. The MegaRider ticket offers seven days' unlimited travel on Aberdeen buses. An Explorer ticket allows travel with some restrictions plus parking for a day or weekend. The Flexirider or Commutercard is better value for longer stays.
Time Travel

Walk the cobbled streets of 15th century Old Aberdeen; escape thousands of years into the past along Grampian's Stone Circle Trail; be swept away by the romantic clifftop ruins of 12th-century Dunnottar Castle surrounded by the sea.
Aberdeen Transport Links

Traveline Scotland website

Highlights

Highlights

From the imposing grey stone buildings of the city to the soothing greens and browns of the surrounding glens, Aberdeen is rich in highland treasures.

Old Aberdeen is home of the 500-year-old university and its crowning glories, King's College and St Machar's Cathedral. Wander through the quiet streets of preserved fishing village Footdee, a few minutes away from the throng on Aberdeen Fun Beach.

Heading out of the city, get a right royal view of Balmoral Castle, the Royal Family's Scottish home, and breathe the clean air of Royal Deeside, or climb the Cairngorm Mountains. Enjoy mild climes and dolphins at the Moray Firth and the world's only Malt Whisky Trail.
Sightseeing Tips

Admission to the Aberdeen Art Gallery, Maritime Museum, Provost Skene's House and The Tolbooth is free. Many of the castles, country houses and gardens in the region are owned by the National Trust for Scotland or Historic Scotland. Annual membership or an Explorer Pass save money on multiple entrance fees.

Content provided by Frommer's Unlimited © 2009, Whatsonwhen Limited.



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