Photo: me (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do in Aberdeenshire
Wondering what to do in Aberdeenshire? This guide lists the area's attractions — zoos, museums, theme parks and more — with distances, so you can plan every day of your trip.
Museums & Galleries
4.3 mi from Aberdeenshire
Alford Valley Railway
The Alford Valley Railway is a 2 ft narrow gauge railway in the Howe of Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located at what used to be the terminus of the passenger and goods Al... — Wikipedia
4.4 mi from Aberdeenshire
Grampian Transport Museum
Grampian Transport Museum is an independent museum and charity in the heart of Alford, Aberdeenshire, taking you on a journey from the elegance of horse-drawn travel to the evoluti...
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9.5 mi from Aberdeenshire
Insch Connection Museum
The Insch Connection Museum is a small, free-to-enter museum housed in the former ticket office and ladies' waiting room of Insch's working railway station. Inside you'll find phot...
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10.2 mi from Aberdeenshire
Carnegie Inverurie Museum
Museum in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK, closed 2006
10.3 mi from Aberdeenshire
Garioch Heritage Centre
The Garioch Heritage Centre is a museum in Inverurie. It is owned by the Garioch Heritage Society. — Wikipedia
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10.9 mi from Aberdeenshire
Banchory Museum
Museum in Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
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16.7 mi from Aberdeenshire
Blairs Museum
Blairs Museum offers a unique insight into Scotland's Catholic history and heritage, housed in part of the former national junior seminary and home to spectacular collections spann...
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17.5 mi from Aberdeenshire
The Gordon Highlanders Museum
The Gordon Highlanders Museum, in the west end of Aberdeen City, tells the 200-year story of the Gordon Highlanders regiment through its Nationally Significant Collection. Housed i...
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18.4 mi from Aberdeenshire
Tarves Heritage Project
Tarves Heritage Project is a small museum in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, run since 1992 to preserve the heritage of Tarves and Barthol Chapel Parish. The Centre is housed in part of a...
18.6 mi from Aberdeenshire
Zoology Museum
The Zoology Museum, part of the University of Aberdeen's collections, displays specimens from protozoa to great whales, including taxidermy, skeletons, study skins, fluid-preserved...
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18.8 mi from Aberdeenshire
King's Museum
King's Museum was a small university museum operated by the University of Aberdeen and located in the Old Town House in Old Aberdeen, Scotland. — Wikipedia
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19 mi from Aberdeenshire
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Aberdeen Art Gallery is the main visual arts exhibition space in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1884 in a building designed by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, with... — Wikipedia
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19.2 mi from Aberdeenshire
Provost Skene's House
Provost Skene's House is a house in Aberdeen, built in 1545 and now housing a museum. It is named after Sir George Skene (1619–1708) who served as provost of the city of Aberdeen f... — Wikipedia
19.3 mi from Aberdeenshire
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Aberdeen Maritime Museum is a maritime museum in Aberdeen, Scotland, located on the historic Shiprow near the city harbour. Operated by Aberdeen City Council, the museum explores t... — Wikipedia
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19.3 mi from Aberdeenshire
Tolbooth Museum
The Tolbooth in Aberdeen, Scotland is a 17th-century former jail which is now operated as a museum. The museum contains prison cells and exhibits various police and law and order r... — Wikipedia
19.6 mi from Aberdeenshire
Aberdeen Science Centre
Aberdeen Science Centre is a hands-on museum where you can explore energy, motion, engineering and the human body through interactive exhibits, live science shows and VR experience...
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22.2 mi from Aberdeenshire
Glenesk Folk Museum
Glenesk Folk Museum is a museum located in the Glen Esk valley, in Tarfside, Angus, Scotland. It is about 9 miles (14 km) north of the village of Edzell. It is housed in a former s... — Wikipedia
22.3 mi from Aberdeenshire
Tolbooth Museum
The Tolbooth Museum sits in the oldest building in Stonehaven, right on the harbour front, and tells the story of a structure that began as a storehouse before becoming a courthous...
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Theme Parks
19.8 mi from Aberdeenshire
Codona's Amusement Park
Codona's Amusement Park is a long-standing family-run entertainment complex on Aberdeen's seafront, offering both indoor and outdoor attractions for all ages. You'll find rides, an...
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Zoos & Wildlife
12.9 mi from Aberdeenshire
Wynford Farm Park
Wynford Farm Park is an all-weather family attraction in Aberdeenshire, combining farm animals and exotic species with indoor soft play in the PlayBarn, outdoor adventure play and...
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Where to stay near Aberdeenshire
Places to stay within easy reach of these days out.
More around Aberdeenshire
Itineraries
- A weekend in Scotland with the kids · 2 days
- A weekend in Scotland · 2 days
- A weekend in Scotland with older parents · 2 days
Haunted Britain
Aberdeenshire rewards people who plan loosely. It is a big, quiet county of farm roads, river valleys and more castles than you can reasonably fit into one trip, so the trick is to pick a corner, cluster three or four stops within it, and leave room to stop when something looks interesting. Here is how the days out tend to shape up.
Best days out with children
For straightforward fun with no need to keep anyone quiet, Codona's Amusement Park is the obvious choice — rides, noise and the kind of afternoon children remember. The Den & the Glen is the gentler alternative, and suits younger families who want space to run about rather than queue.
Museums can work surprisingly well with children here too, as long as you choose the hands-on sort. The Zoology Museum is a good bet for anyone who likes skeletons and specimens, while Maud Railway Museum gives train-minded children something tangible to look at. Mill of Benholm and the Museum of Farming Life both trade in machinery, milling and old working life, which usually lands better with children than cabinets of documents.
Rainy day options
Aberdeenshire is well stocked with small indoor attractions, which is handy because the weather does what it likes. Worth knowing about:
- Provost Skene's House and the Tolbooth Museum for town history under one roof each
- King's Museum and the Zoology Museum for collections with real depth
- Blairs Museum for something more specialised and unusual
- Banchory Museum, Garioch Heritage Centre, the Insch Connection Museum and the Tarves Heritage Project for local history told by people who live there
- The Whisky Museum, if the region's best-known export interests you
Many of these are small, volunteer-supported places with limited or seasonal opening, so check before you set off rather than turning up hopefully. The Proposed Cabrach Heritage Centre is one to look up in advance for the same reason.
Castles and heritage
The castle list is the backbone of any heritage day. Castle Fraser and Craigievar Castle are the headline names, and one of the castles in the region is in National Trust care, which usually means reliable opening and a proper visit rather than a look from the gate. Fordyce Castle, Leslie Castle, Harthill Castle and Tillycairn Castle are smaller, more private affairs — sometimes best appreciated from the outside. Boyne Castle, Bognie Castle and Frendraught Castle suit anyone who enjoys ruins, context and a bit of quiet walking rather than a gift shop.
Two further heritage stops are worth a word of warning: the Braemar Highland Heritage Centre and the Balmoral Exhibition are both listed under Pitlochry rather than Aberdeenshire proper, so treat them as a separate, longer outing and check the journey time before you commit a morning to it.
Building a sensible day
Two or three stops is plenty. A workable pattern is one castle, one small museum and one meal, with the driving done in the middle of the day rather than the ends.
- Family day: Codona's Amusement Park or The Den & the Glen in the morning, then the Zoology Museum or Maud Railway Museum when energy dips.
- Heritage day: Castle Fraser or Craigievar Castle first, then Garioch Heritage Centre or the Insch Connection Museum nearby.
- Slow day: Mill of Benholm, a walk, and Banchory Museum or the Tarves Heritage Project to finish.
Where to eat
We don't currently have any Aberdeenshire eateries with verified five-star food hygiene ratings on our listings, so rather than send you somewhere we can't stand behind, the honest advice is this: check the Food Standards Scotland hygiene rating before you book, ring ahead in villages where the one pub may stop serving mid-afternoon, and carry something for the car. Attraction cafés — where they exist at smaller museums — are often volunteer-run and close earlier than the museum does.
Turning it into a short break
Three nights is the sweet spot: one day for castles, one for the coast or a walk, one for whichever museums caught your eye. There are 213 places to stay in Aberdeenshire on BritStays, which is enough choice to base yourself close to the attractions you care most about rather than driving the same road twice.
Practical points: book a stay with parking, fill the tank when you see a petrol station, download maps before you head inland, and ring any small museum the day before you plan to visit.
Frequently asked questions
What can you do in Aberdeenshire with young children?
Codona's Amusement Park is the liveliest option, with rides and plenty of noise, while The Den & the Glen suits younger children who want space to run about. For a quieter stop, the Zoology Museum, Maud Railway Museum, Mill of Benholm and the Museum of Farming Life all give children something tangible to look at.
Which Aberdeenshire attractions are good on a rainy day?
There is a strong run of indoor museums: Provost Skene's House, the Tolbooth Museum, King's Museum, the Zoology Museum, Blairs Museum, Banchory Museum, Garioch Heritage Centre, the Insch Connection Museum, the Tarves Heritage Project and the Whisky Museum. Many are small and volunteer-supported, so check opening before you travel.
Which castles should I visit in Aberdeenshire?
Castle Fraser and Craigievar Castle are the best-known names. Fordyce Castle, Leslie Castle, Harthill Castle and Tillycairn Castle are smaller and more private, while Boyne Castle, Bognie Castle and Frendraught Castle suit anyone who enjoys ruins and quiet walking. One of the region's castles is in National Trust care.
Are the Braemar Highland Heritage Centre and the Balmoral Exhibition in Aberdeenshire?
Both are listed under Pitlochry rather than Aberdeenshire itself. They are worth visiting, but treat them as a separate longer outing and check the journey time before you plan a morning around them.
Where should I eat in Aberdeenshire?
We don't currently list any Aberdeenshire eateries with verified five-star food hygiene ratings, so we'd rather not point you anywhere specific. Check the hygiene rating before booking, ring ahead in villages where the one pub may stop serving in the afternoon, and remember that small museum cafés are often volunteer-run and close before the museum does.
How many places are there to stay in Aberdeenshire on BritStays?
There are 213 places to stay in Aberdeenshire listed on BritStays, which is enough choice to base yourself near the attractions you most want to see rather than driving the same roads twice. Look for a stay with parking if you plan to tour the castles.
More ways to explore
Not booked yet? See the best places to stay in Aberdeenshire.