8 Great Day Trips To Take From Aberdeen

The city of Aberdeen is full of interesting things to do, whether you want to visit the local museums, walk in the parks, or simply sit in a coffee shop and watch the world go by. However, it is also perfectly placed to explore a wider region, with a network of public transport options and a wide variety of destinations available.

Whisky tours

Whisky is so intrinsically tied together with Scottish culture and history, that it doesn’t really matter whether you love it or hate it — a visit to a distillery will enhance your understanding of Scotland. Aberdeenshire is well placed for a day trip to the legendary whisky-producing region of Speyside, but it also has its own delights to sample, known as ‘The Secret Malts of Aberdeenshire’. Bus tours run daily from Aberdeen, or you can put together your own itinerary — just remember not to sample the wares if you are driving!

Stonehaven and Dunnottar Castle

City Trips

Catching the train to Dundee takes an hour and 15 minutes, Inverness two hours and 20 minutes, and Edinburgh two hours and 30 minutes. This makes each of these cities ideal for a day trip, with the journey itself being an added bonus, as the train passes through the beautiful Scottish countryside — especially in summer, when the extended daylight hours lets you look out across the softly lit landscape long into the night. Other options include Stirling, and its remarkable castle, high above the rest of the town.

North Aberdeenshire and the Moray Coast

The northern coast of Aberdeenshire is a fantastic area to explore, with its combination of fascinating fishing towns and villages, such as Boddam, Rosehearty, and Fraserburgh (which lands the most shellfish of any harbour in Europe), sandy beaches, or stunning cliffs. Wildlife abounds here, and it is a very good place to spot dolphins. Other local attractions include the Macduff Marine Aquarium, which is an excellent introduction to the huge variety of life found in the local seas; it is also the deepest seawater tank in Scotland. The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses is also nearby, close to Fraserburgh.

St. Andrews and Glamis Castle

If you have an interest in golf, then a day-trip to St. Andrews is a must. This famous town is not called ‘The Home of Golf’ for no reason — there are seven courses, and the first written mention of golf here occurred in 1552! St. Andrews is not just about golf though — it is also home to the third oldest university in the English speaking world, a ruined castle, several excellent shops and restaurants and, crucially, all this is within walking distance. A day-trip to St. Andrews would be more than enough to entertain, but it is only a small detour to visit the castle of Glamis, a place full of history, mystery, and legend.

Royal Deeside

Follow the river Dee west of Aberdeen, towards the rising bulk of the Cairngorm mountains, and you come to Royal Deeside. The name is a clue: ‘Deeside’ because the area surrounds the upper reaches of the river, ‘Royal’ because this is the summer home of the British Royal Family. Their castle at Balmoral is one of several in the area, which is ringed by remarkable mountains to climb and dotted with beautiful villages to explore. There is a wide range of outdoor activities to take part in, from gentle forest strolls to more energetic mountain biking, skiing to gliding.

Cairngorm Mountains

In winter these provide a wonderland of snow sport opportunities, with downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing and even sledding available. The alpine conditions of the Cairngorms attracts mountaineers, keen to bag munros. There are reindeer here, and other mountain specialist mountain wildlife include ptarmigan, mountain hare and snow bunting. When the snow goes then the forests and slopes are re-purposed, used for many hundreds of miles of trails, whether walking or mountain biking, or even pony-trekking. Following the A93 road west of Aberdeen will lead you to this outdoor adventure-playground.

Donside

To the north of Deeside is the more rugged river valley of the Don. Donside is quite different in character to its southern neighbour, and full of fascinating archaeological and architectural wonders to explore. The area abounds with castles, but there are relics of an even older time here: stone circles from the time before iron, symbol stones from the era of the Picts — their meaning lost in time. And, speaking of lost, there are also the famous road signs for the place bearing this name: Lost. There is much that can be packed into a day-trip to this area and it is quieter than Deeside; it is possible you will have many of the sites to yourself.

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Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

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