Aberdeenshire Guide

Aberdeen City Called the Granite City due to the main buildings in the centre, Aberdeen is the third largest city in Scotland. Established as a port city in the 12th century by King David I because of its prime location on the North Sea. To this day it still has a busy harbour serving ferry routes to the Shetland and Orkney Islands. Now the city predominately profits from the offshore oil fields of the North Sea. Visit the Aberdeen Maritime Museum to see the city's history as an important ship building centre in Britain. A walk around town you can see the grand granite buildings which give the city its nickname, such as Town House on Union Street, the Citadel at Castlegate and the gothic style Marischal College, the world’s 2nd largest granite structure. Provost Skene's House is an old town house that you can visit that was once occupied by the Jacobites. The present Aberdeen is a vibrant city Dunnottar Castle with a great shopping district named the Granite Mile, and a wide selection of pubs, restaurants and art galleries.

The Grampian Highlands in Southern Aberdeenshire is a vast agricultural area that stretches to the coast. Stonehaven is a pretty harbour town known for its Hogmanay parties with Fireball ceremonies. Near here is Dunnottar Castle, an impressive castle sitting on top of a circular cliff surrounded by the ocean. The area was greatly admired by Queen Victoria as she considered it a highland paradise. Here she purchased the breathtaking Balmoral Castle. Balmoral Castle Located on the eastern gateway of the Cairngorm mountains, Royal Deeside is an excellent location for outdoor activities such as walking, biking and wildlife watching. For more details on the Grampian Highlands download a tourism pamphlet.

The north east coast is full of quaint fishing towns and a rugged cliff coastline. Some of the most popular for tourists being Peterhead, Banff, Portsoy, and Fraserburgh. Macduff Harbour An interesting place to visit is the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, a gallery telling the story of lighthouses throughout the country. Other highlights of the area include Slains Castle, Loch of Strathbeg RSPB winter bird reserve, Macduff Marine Aquarium, and the many golf courses. On the inland there are also the stone circles of Aikey Brae and Strichen.