North East
Date ideas in Aberdeen
Updated
Aberdeen is a granite city on the North Sea, with a long sandy beach a few minutes' walk from the shops. Plenty of the best dates here are free: the council's museums, the parks, the old fishing village at the harbour mouth, and dolphins in the bay if you're patient. Bring a jacket whatever the forecast, because the wind off the sea comes with the view. These are the places we'd pick, rain or shine.
Our picks in Aberdeen
Aberdeen Beach and the Esplanade
Beach Esplanade, Queen's Links, east of the city centre
Address: Beach Esplanade, by the Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen AB24 5NR- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer
- Active
Walk the long seafront promenade beside Aberdeen's sandy city beach, from Footdee in the south up towards the mouth of the River Don.
Why it's a good date: A flat, straight path and a big sky make it easy to walk and talk. Start or finish at Footdee, and wrap up: the wind off the North Sea bites even in summer.
Photo: Flickr user: Bernt Rostad, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Wander the squares of Footdee (Fittie), a 19th-century fishing village of low cottages and painted sheds and summerhouses at the harbour mouth.
Why it's a good date: It's small, quiet and unlike anywhere else in the city, so it suits a slow stroll. People live here, so keep your voices down, then watch the ships come through the harbour entrance from the pier.
Photo: Bill Harrison, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Schoolhill, city centre
Address: Schoolhill, Aberdeen AB10 1FQ- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
See Scottish and European art from the 18th century to now, then head up to the top floor for views over the city's rooftops.
Why it's a good date: Free, central and dry, so it's the obvious rain plan. It sits beside Union Terrace Gardens and His Majesty's Theatre, which makes it easy to pair with a walk or a show.
Photo: Tom Parnell from Scottish Borders, Scotland, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Shiprow, just off Union Street
Address: 52-56 Shiprow, Aberdeen AB11 5BY- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Find out how the sea shaped Aberdeen, from clipper ships to North Sea oil, in a museum built around a merchant's house from 1593.
Why it's a good date: The windows look straight onto the working harbour, so you can watch supply boats come and go between exhibits. Walk down to the quay or out to Footdee afterwards.
Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Duthie Park and the David Welch Winter Gardens
Polmuir Road, Ferryhill, by the River Dee
Address: Duthie Park, Polmuir Road, Aberdeen AB11 7TH- Outdoors
- Free
- Rainy day
Walk the Victorian park by the River Dee, then step into the Winter Gardens, one of Europe's largest indoor gardens, with a cactus house and tropical plants.
Why it's a good date: Warm and green even on a grey day, so it works in any weather. There's a café in the park, and the path along the Dee is there if you want a longer walk.
Photo: AlasdairW, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Old Aberdeen
Old Aberdeen, about a mile north of the city centre
Address: High Street, Old Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3EN- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Culture
Stroll the cobbled High Street past King's College Chapel and its stone crown tower to St Machar's Cathedral, then carry on into Seaton Park.
Why it's a good date: It feels like a separate village, quiet and very old, and it's at its best in autumn. There are cafés near the university, and the Cruickshank Botanic Garden is close by for more green.
Photo: Bill Harrison, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Torry Battery and Girdle Ness
Greyhope Road, Torry, on the south side of the harbour
Address: Greyhope Road, Torry, Aberdeen AB11 8QX- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer
Walk out to the old gun battery above the harbour mouth to look for bottlenose dolphins, then follow the coast to Girdle Ness lighthouse.
Why it's a good date: Not many cities let you watch dolphins from the edge of town, and the view back over the harbour is great too. Pick a calm day, and warm up at the Greyhope Bay café beside the battery.
Photo: Alan Jamieson from Aberdeen, Scotland, CC BY 2.0 (resized)
Provost Skene's House
Marischal Square, off Broad Street, city centre
Address: Guestrow, Marischal Square, Aberdeen AB10 1AS- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Explore Aberdeen's oldest surviving townhouse, built in 1545, with its painted gallery ceiling and rooms on the people who shaped the North East.
Why it's a good date: It doesn't take long, so it makes a good first stop on a city-centre date. It opens seasonally, so check before a winter visit, and look up at Marischal College's granite front across the square.
Photo: Ryan Mitchell, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
A street art walk
Around the city centre, especially Belmont Street, Union Street and the Green
Address: Belmont Street, Aberdeen AB10 1JR- Activity
- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Culture
Hunt down the murals left by the Nuart Aberdeen festival on gable ends, lanes and car parks around the city centre.
Why it's a good date: It's a free treasure hunt that takes you down streets you'd usually skip. Find a mural map online before you set off, and stop on Belmont Street for a drink halfway round.
Photo: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
His Majesty's Theatre
Rosemount Viaduct, city centre
Address: Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen AB25 1GL- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
Catch a touring musical, play, ballet or panto at Aberdeen's Edwardian granite theatre, open since 1906.
Why it's a good date: Dressing up a little for the theatre turns an evening into an occasion. Book dinner nearby on Belmont Street or Union Street first, and walk through Union Terrace Gardens on the way.
Photo: Lucas Kendall, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
The Silver Darling
Pocra Quay, North Pier, Footdee
Address: Pocra Quay, North Pier, Aberdeen AB11 5DQ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Book a seafood dinner in the old customs house at the harbour mouth, with big windows over the North Sea, the harbour and Footdee.
Why it's a good date: One for a birthday or an anniversary: good fish, and ships passing the window. Arrive early for a walk round Footdee first, and ask for a table by the window when you book.
Photo: Stanley Howe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Codona's Amusement Park
Beach Boulevard, Aberdeen Beach
Address: Beach Boulevard, Aberdeen AB24 5ED- Activity
- Cheap and cheerful
- Best in Spring, Summer
Ride the big wheel, race each other round the go-kart track and play crazy golf at the beachfront fun park, then head indoors for bowling.
Why it's a good date: Silly and competitive, which is a good cure for first-date nerves. The outdoor rides are seasonal, but the bowling and arcades inside are open all year.
Photo: UltrasonicMadness, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Dates in Aberdeen: quick answers
What are good rainy-day dates in Aberdeen?
Aberdeen Art Gallery, the Maritime Museum and Provost Skene's House are indoors and free to get into. The Winter Gardens at Duthie Park keep you under glass, and Codona's has bowling and arcades inside all year.
Where can we see dolphins in Aberdeen?
Torry Battery, on the south side of the harbour mouth, is the best spot. Bottlenose dolphins feed there all year, and calm days make them easier to see. The Greyhope Bay centre beside the battery has a café and binoculars you can borrow.
Are there free date ideas in Aberdeen?
Yes, lots. The beach and Esplanade, Footdee, Duthie Park and its Winter Gardens, Old Aberdeen and the Nuart murals cost nothing, and the Art Gallery, Maritime Museum and Provost Skene's House are free to enter.
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