Making the most of Aberdeen
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Aberdeen Railway Station (center of town) is located 500 meters west of the harbor in Guild Street and is a 5 minute walk to the ferry terminal. Taxis are available at most times on the station rank. Be sure to check out the rideshare options as well (Uber, Lyft, and ComCab). City center is about 1.2 km away from the harbor.
Cruise vessels normally berth at Telford Dock, Victoria Dock or Albert Basin. The harbor expansion project which was completed in 2020 which will allow large vessels to berth alongside the 1400 meters quay. Be aware that the harbor expansion (Balmoral Quay) is further away from the city center (about 3.2 km).
Aberdeen (Scottish Gaelic: Obar Dheathain) is Scotland's third largest city, with a population of about 202,000. Aberdeen is the county town of Aberdeenshire, and the chief seaport in the north-east of Scotland. Aberdeen is commonly referred to variously as "the Granite City", or the "Silver City" on account of the gray, occasionally sparkling building stone used in older buildings in the city; and the "Flower of Scotland", Aberdeen long having been famous for outstanding parks, gardens and floral displays. These days, Aberdeen also boasts the title of Oil Capital of Europe thanks to the supply of crude oil in the North Sea, and stands on a…
Almost all the places of visitor interest - Art Gallery, Marischal College, Provost Ross's House, Maritime Museum, shopping malls, Provost Skene's House, harbor and Union Street - are within easy walking distance of each other. Other interests around Aberdeen include the 5* Gordon Highlander Museum and Aberdeen Science Center.
Getting around
Pedestrian Maps There are quite a few of these located around the city center, mainly in points of interest. They are very useful for navigating the rather random layout of the city center and also give details of where to go to catch a particular bus.
Nearby places
Head out into the Aberdeenshire countryside and delve into Scotland's Castle Country. Why not include the striking Crathes Castle and its neighbor Craigievar Castle – both with magnificent painted ceilings? Take in Castle Fraser with its historic furnishings, paintings and fine embroidery and of course, one of Scotland's most famous castles, Dunnottar, a dramatic cliff top ruin located south of Stonehaven.
Whisky lovers will want to head for Moray were some of the World's most famous malts are produced. Glenfiddich, The Glenlivet, Benromach and Glen Grant are just some of the few you can sample! Whilst in the region be sure to visit the splendid Elgin Cathedral, Baxters of Speyside or the Moray Firth Wildlife center (Spey Bay).
Food and shopping
Superb shops and department stores, including three major shopping malls, are to be found in and around the impressive architecture of the mile long Union Street.
Money
The currency throughout the UK is the pound (£). You may also hear the slang term quid for pounds. Scottish bank notes are frowned upon in other parts of the UK, so change the notes before leaving Scotland.
Cash machines (ATM) or less formally 'holes in the wall' are very widely available and usually dispense £10 and £20 notes.
Visa, Mastercard and Maestro, are accepted by most shops and restaurants.
Staying connected
English is spoken throughout the country, but sometimes with heavy accents!
Most cafe's and restaurants offer free WiFi.
The local emergency telephone number is 999, however, the EU-wide 112 can also be used.
Opening Hours and
Shopping hours are in general:
Small stores 6 or 7 days a week (10am - 6pm) Larger stores in general stay open till' 9PM Hyper marts often 24/7