There is plenty of variety in this area for the visitor. From the bustling commercial city of Aberdeen, to the tranquil Cairngorm mountains. See the Visit Scotland Aberdeen website for more detail.
If your visit is blessed by sunshine you will see why Aberdeen is known as the silver city, thanks to its sparkling Granite buildings. Even if the weather is as grey as the granite, Aberdeen is a city with a particular magic.
A few minutes drive out of Aberdeen can take you to the outstanding natural beauty of Royal Deeside, to many delightful country towns, to coastal scenery second to none, or to the tranquility of heather-clad hillsides.
Some visitor attractions open only during the summer months, or from March/April to September/October.
If it is golf you seek, you could play a different course for each day for a month in this area. Looking ahead, what is described as the "best golf course in the world" - the Trump International Golf Links, Scotland - is being planned for a links site just north of Aberdeen.
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During the summer will enjoy long summer evenings with broad daylight until as late as 10.30 or 11pm. Conversely in the mid-winter it can get dark as early as 4pm - but, what better excuse can there be to start the night life early, or just pull up a chair to a roaring log fire and immerse yourself in a good book?
one of the busiest airports in the country with many domestic and international flights and the world's busiest civil heliport serving the offshore industry.
Aberdeen is normally a little over two hours from Edinburgh on the A90 dual carriageway. The more interesting scenic tourist route is to go by Perth to Blairgowrie and over by Glenshee to Royal Deeside, taking the A93 past Balmoral and Crathes Castle (see PLACES section) and on to Aberdeen.
The City of Aberdeen is still relatively welcoming for car users. There is on-street car-parking using the familiar pay-and-display system where you purchase a ticket from a nearby machine and display it in the vehicle.
Parking violations (now including the "yellow line" restrictions) are now controlled by Aberdeen City Council wardens in their maroon uniforms. They have become known locally as the "maroon dragoons"!
There are also multi-storey car parks at Chapel Street/Huntly Street at the west end of Union Street, South College Street (near the railway station), below the Trinity Shopping Centre, two at the Bon Accord Centre (but they quickly fill up, particularly on a Saturday, one in West North Street and the NCP car park at Shiprow.
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The latter is a rather old (therefore tight ramps and parking spaces) multi-storey car park, but it is well situated just off the Inner Ring Road at the harbour.
The Aberdeen tourist information is only around 100 yards walk from this car park. (From the car park exit by the walkway alongside Shiprow. Head north up Shiprow and through the walkway to Union Street for the tourist information office.)
The Maritime Museum and Provost Ross's House are immediately adjacent. The historic Castlegate, Provost Skene's House, the Town House, the Tolbooth Museum, Marischal College and Arts Centre are nearby.
Bon Accord and St Nicholas shopping centres are within easy walking distance.
There is a wide range of hotels and accommodation in the Aberdeen area, from luxury hotels like the Marcliffe at Pitfodel, boutique hotels like The Carmelite and (soon to open) Malmaison, plus to international hotel groups like the Marriott, Hilton and budget priced chains like Travelodge and Travel Inn.
There are also a myriad of smaller private hotels and guest houses. One of the main concentrations of guest houses is on Great Western Road (heading north into Aberdeen, take the A90 ring road and turn right into the city centre at the Great Western Road (the traffic lights juction witht the A93 Braemar road).
Book Aberdeenhotels like The Marcliffe at Pitfodels, The Carmelite, The Copthorne, Thistle hotels, Hilton Treetops, Britannia, Marriot, Mercure Ardoe House, Aberdeen Patio, Skene House suites, Simpsons, The Spires suites and Travelodges online.
An independent guide to restaurants, diners and pubs in Aberdeen, with reader's comments. Remember that smoking is prohibited in all restaurants, diners, pubs and, indeed, all public open spaces throughout Scotland.
Aberdeen City and Shire have a worldwide reputation for fine food and drink. The best seafood, the finest bakery products, the finest Scotch Beef and, of course, Scotch Whisky.
North East Scotland has the worlds greatest concentration of whisky distilleries. Many are open to the public. See details on the What to See page and on the Visit Scotland website.
