Why go
- Third most populous city of Scotland.
- 6 curated must-see attractions on record, including Craigievar Castle.
- Served by Aberdeen International Airport (ABZ).
History
Aberdeen is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeenshire, but is now separate from the council area of Aberdeenshire. Aberdeen City Council is one of Scotland's 32 local authorities. Aberdeen has a population of 198,590 (2020) for the main urban area and 220,690 (2020) for the wider settlement including outlying localities, making it the United Kingdom's 39th most populous built-up area. Aberdeen has a long, sandy coastline and features an oceanic climate, with cool summers and mild, rainy winters.
Must-see attractions
5 more attractions in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →
Where to stay
Restaurants & places to go
74 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →
Airports
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 17 airlines, 29 direct destinations
- Eastern Airways T3 (J41, S20, ERJ-145, ER3) · 9 routes: East Midlands, Humberside, Leeds, Newcastle, Norwich, Stavanger, Stornoway, Teesside, Wick
- Air Sicilia BM (ERJ-145, ER3) · 6 routes: Bristol, Esbjerg, Kristiansund, Manchester, Norwich, Oslo
- Flybe BE (Dash 8-400, Embraer 175, S20, Saab 340, EMJ) · 6 routes: Belfast, Birmingham, Kirkwall*, Manchester, Paris*, Sumburgh*
- Scandinavian Airlines System SK (736, Dash 8-400, Dash 8-300, CRJ-900, CRJ-200, 737-700…) · 4 routes: Bergen*, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stavanger
- British Airways BA (A319, A320, A321, S20, Embraer 170) · 2 routes: London*, London
- easyJet U2 (A319, A320) · 2 routes: London, London
- Widerøe WF (Dash 8-400, Dash 8-300) · 2 routes: Bergen, Stavanger
- Aer Lingus EI (ATR 72) · 1 route: Dublin*
- Air Baltic BT (735) · 1 route: Riga
- Air France AF (Embraer 170) · 1 route: Paris
- Alitalia AZ (Embraer 170) · 1 route: Paris*
- American Airlines AA (A319, A320, A321) · 1 route: London*
- Iberia Airlines IB (A319, A320) · 1 route: London*
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (737, EMJ, F70) · 1 route: Amsterdam
- Lufthansa Cargo LH (735) · 1 route: Frankfurt
- Transaero Airlines UN (A330-300) · 1 route: London
- Virgin Atlantic Airways VS (A320) · 1 route: London*
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Getting there by ferry
Where things are
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.
Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.
Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.
Getting there & around
Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Aberdeen International Airport (ABZ); 4 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: ABZ has direct flights to 29 destinations on 17 airlines (incl. London, Paris, Stavanger, Bergen, Manchester…). By water: 4 ferry terminals within 12 mi (nearest: Aberdeen, 1.9 mi); routes include Aberdeen - Kirkwall, NorthLink Ferries: Lerwick => Aberdeen, NorthLink Ferries: Aberdeen => Lerwick.
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Aberdeen, Scotland. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.
Trains & rail
Coaches & shuttles
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.