Aberdeen

Aberdeen Art Gallery

The Aberdeen Art Gallery is set in a Victorian building with an exquisite marble and granite main hall. On the ground floor are housed modern works including pieces by Tracy Emin and Gilbert & George, with many others. Upstairs hang more traditional paintings and sculpture. These include Impressionist pieces and workandy the Scottish Colourists. There are frequent temporary exhibitions (see website) and also display of antique silverware and decorative pieces. Columns in the main hall display the many different colours of local granite used to build the city. There is a good gift shop too. For those who like art, an afternoon could easily be spent here, but at least a quick browse is well worth it for anyone.

Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun 11AM-4PM·Admission free

Aberdeen FC

"The Dons" play soccer in the Premiership, Scotland's top tier. Their home ground of Pittodrie is an all-seater stadium, capacity 20,000. It's a mile north of the centre, walk up Park Rd or take any bus up King St.

Aberdeen Harbour Cruises

Tours include harbour trips, spotting sea-life (dolphins, basking sharks, porpoises, puffins), and a ride out to the offshore wind farm.

Apr-Oct

Aberdeen Maritime Museum

This museum, rated 5-star by the Scottish Tourist Board, tells the story of Aberdeen's relationship with the sea, from fishing to trade to North Sea oil. It 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. 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 that is slightly expensive, but the food is pretty good. There are excellent views of the harbour from the top floor.

Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun 11AM-4PM·Admission free

Aberdeen Science Centre

Satrosphere

Interactive science discovery centre in the former city tram depot.

Daily 10AM-5PM·Adult £9, child £5.50, conc £6.80, family £23

Adventure Aberdeen Snowsports Centre

Artificial ski slopes with an Alpine run, a Dendex run and a nursery slope. Tuition and kit hire plus public sessions.

Mon Tue Thu 2-8PM, Wed noon-10PM, Fri 10AM-10PM, Sat Sun 9AM-5PM

Ashvale

Proper sit-down traditional fish restaurant, worth coming the extra distance from city centre.

Mon Tue 4:30-8PM; Wed Thu noon-2PM, 4:30-8PM; Fri-Sun noon-8PM

City Bar & Diner

Its customers rate it a hidden gem, great scores for food and service.

Mon Tue 10AM-6PM, Wed Thu 10AM-9PM, Fri Sat 10AM-10PM

Cove Rangers FC

"The Toonsers" play in League One, the third tier. Their home ground is Balmoral Stadium (capacity 2600) in Cove Bay two miles south of city centre.

David Welch Winter Gardens

Large indoor gardens in a variety of glasshouse habitats (wheelchair-friendly), with tropical, arid, ferns and Japanese gardens. You can enter via Polmuir Road or Riverside Drive just after the railway bridge.

Daily: Nov-Mar noon-4PM; Apr Sep Oct 10AM-5:30PM; May-Aug 10AM-7:30PM·Free

Deeside Golf Club

Founded in 1903, with the 18-hole Haughton course, later adding the 9-hole Blairs course.

Gordon Highlanders Museum

The Gordon Highlanders were formed in 1881 from an infantry division of 1794, and amalgamated into the Highlanders in 1994, now a battalion within the Royal Regiment of Scotland. They were thus involved in two centuries of wars and campaigns, and 13 of its men were awarded the Victoria Cross. Exhibits include a Nazi flag from Hitler's staff car and mock-up First World War trenches. It's housed in the home of the Victorian artist Sir George Reid, and has a large garden.

Feb-Nov Tue-Sat 10AM-4:30PM·Adult £12, conc £9, child £6

Hazlehead Park

Large 180-hectare park on land granted to the city by King Robert the Bruce in 1319. Gardens include the Queen Mother Rose Garden, and the North Sea Memorial Garden to remember the 167 people killed on the Piper Alpha oil rig in 1988. There's a small petting zoo Pets Corner (charging £3), two golf courses, a hedge maze and cafe. Dogs welcome.

Daily 9AM until an hour before dusk·Free

His Majesty's Theatre

It hosts a wide range of plays, musicals and panto. It also has a good restaurant.

Johnston Gardens

Small, bosky park in a residential area, full of floral displays, water features and rockeries. Toilets are in the car park.

Daily 8AM until an hour before dusk·Free

King's Museum

This University-run museum on the King's College campus has rotating exhibitions. The building, a 1727 townhouse, is closed for redevelopment.

Closed

Krakatoa

A tiki dive bar and Grassroots music venue. Great range of world beers, real ale and cider, authentic absinthe, rum, and outlandish tiki cocktails served in pint jars.

Sun-Thu 2PM-1AM, Fri Sat 2PM-3AM

Linx Ice Arena

Large ice rink, public skating session times vary. Aberdeen Lynx ice hockey team play here Sept-March in the Scottish National League, the UK second tier.

Daily 5:30AM-10PM

Ma Cameron's

Also a Belhaven pub, in a former coaching inn. Friendly place with good pub grub.

Daily 11AM-midnight

Music Hall

Opened as the Assembly Rooms in 1822, this is an elegant setting for classical and popular music, stand-up comedy and other performances.

North East Scotland College

The largest further education college in Scotland, with 21,000 students. The main facility is on Gallowgate, with others in the city and in Fraserburgh.

Old School House

Belhaven pub behind a granite portico, suggesting that the former school specialised in Latin, Greek and physical chastisement. Good selection of food, TV sport, beer garden and dog friendly.

Sun-Thu 10AM-11PM, Fri Sat 10AM-1AM

P&J Live

The Event Complex

Exhibition and events venue which opened in 2019, replacing the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre. The biennial Offshore Europe exhibition, held in early September of odd-numbered years, is the biggest event.

Prince of Wales

Long, long bar, almost as long as HRH Charlie's tenure of the post of Prince of Wales. It's a Belhaven pub where you need to bring an appetite for their hearty trad food. It's hidden away in a block north side of Union St, surrounded by banks that haven't yet been converted to pubs but are presumably looking anxiously over their shoulders.

Daily 10AM-11PM

Provost Skene's House

Guestrow (walk under passageway at St. Nicholas House on Broad Street and it's in the little plaza there). Scottish towns and cities have a "provost" instead of a mayor and this house used to belong to Provost George Skene. The large, picturesque house dates from 1545 (it's the oldest house left in the city).

Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun 11AM-4PM·Admission free

RGU Sport

Has similar facilities to the Sports Village and a 25-m pool and climbing wall.

Mon-Fri 6AM-10PM, Sat Sun 9AM-7PM

Royal Aberdeen Golf Course

Founded in 1780, and nowadays with two courses. The Balgownie is the championship links course, 6918 yards par 70. It staged the Walker Cup in 2011 and the Scottish Open in 2014. The Silverburn is a par-3 18-hole course.

Silver Darling

Seafood restaurant on Footdee quay (see above) with great views.

Mon-Fri noon-2PM, 5:30-8PM; Sat Sun noon-8PM

Sir Duncan Rice Library

Striking modern building by St Machar Park west side of the campus. It's accessible to the public, with a ground floor gallery for exhibitions.

Mon-Fri 8AM-10PM, Sat 9AM-10PM, Sun 11AM-10PM

The Archibald Simpson

This is in a converted bank at the city's old crossroads. The historical name tells you it's a JD Wetherspoon. Simpson (1790-1847) was the architect most responsible for the granite cityscape. Reliable chain pub for real ale and food.

Daily 8AM-1AM