About Aberdeen

Where is Aberdeen?

Aberdeen is a cosmopolitan city with an international population and a booming oil industry in the North East of Scotland.   It is the capital of the Grampian Highlands and the third largest city in Scotland.  Aberdeen’s buildings incorporate locally quarried grey granite, giving it a distinctive look and the nickname the Granite City, or the Silver City with the Golden Sands.

Restaurants, clubs, theatres and shops

• Aberdeen’s famous Union Street gives you access to hundreds of shops, restaurants and bars.
• The famous Marischal College and the spectacular Art Gallery can both be found in the city centre.
• Most of the nightlife can be found in the West End of the city
• Aberdeen has a magnificant long sandy beach between the two rivers, the Dee and the Don

The Visit Scotland website will give you detailed information.

Schools

• Information on schools in Aberdeen can be found on the council’s website - www.aberdeencity.gov.uk
• Aberdeen has two universities, the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University.

Travel

• Aberdeen airport is seven miles from the city centre on the A96 near Dyce.  The airport’s website lists the airlines flying to Aberdeen.
  Two bus companies operate between the airport and the city centre; First Aberdeen (+44 (0)1224 650 065) and Stagecoach Bluebird (+44 (0)1224 212 266). 
• Travel throughout Aberdeen is relatively simple due to a comprehensive network of bus routes and services operated by First – www.firstaberdeen.co.uk
• Aberdeen railway station is on the main UK rail network and connects directly to major cities such as Edinburgh and London.

Days out

• The Cairngorms National Park offers some of the most spectacular landscapes in Britain
• The Castle Trail takes in 11 of the world’s most unique castles
• The Glenlivet Estate is a large Highland Estate with over 60 miles of waymarked trails on estate tracks.  Great for walkers, mountain bikers and skiers.

For full information on all the attractions in and around Aberdeen, see the Visit Scotland website

Sport

• Aberdeen boasts no less than 8 golf courses in and around the town.  The Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, founded in 1780 and the oldest golf club in Aberdeen, hosted the Senior British Open in 2005
• Aberdeen Football Club competes in the Scottish Premier League and is one of the most successful clubs in Scotland, having won four league titles and seven Scottish Cups.  The team plays at the Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen
• There are lots of other sports to enjoy such as karting, kite sports, horse riding and ten pin bowling