Day Trips around Aberdeen
So, you’ve just passed your driving test at Aberdeen North test centre (Bridge of Don) or Aberdeen South (Cove) and you’re looking to go on a road trip — without getting too crazy with the distance. Look no further. GoRoadie breaks down the top 5 locations to visit around the Aberdeen city, whilst still getting home to your own bed in the same day.
Stonehaven and Dunnottar Castle
Checking out Stovenhaven is a must for a day trip for a starter. This wee town is just 15 miles south of Aberdeen, taking only 20-30 minutes to get there.
Stonehaven is an interesting town, with tons of places to eat, a beautiful beach and a charming harbour. Throughout the year there are quirky events such as a classic car rally and the famous Hogmanay fireball ceremony. Legend has it that the infamous deep-fried Mars bar was invented here!
Just a little further south, about 2 miles, is Dunnottar Castle, which sits on the edge of a cliff. This medieval fortress is the perfect place to end your day. Formerly home to the Scottish crown jewels, Dunnottar Castle boasts 12 listed buildings as part of its grounds.
Cairngorm Mountains
The Cairngorms are a beautiful mountain range on the east side of the Scottish Highlands. Braemar is the town located nearest to the middle of the Cairngorms National Park, about 60 miles from Aberdeen, or about 1 hour 30 minutes drive.
During winter, this is snow sports heaven for skiers and snowboarders. A funicular railway can take travellers up to the Ski Centre. There are reindeer parks and wild animals include mountain hares and other mountain specialist animals.
During the summer, there are plenty of walks and hikes to go on, dependant on your experience level and many other adventures to go on. The Cairngorms boasts 18 of Scotland's 282 Munros.
The Higgs boson particle was originally hypothesized by Peter Higgs whilst he was walking in the Cairngorms.
Take the A93 road west of Aberdeen will lead you to this outdoor wonderland.
Donside
This rugged valley is north of Deeside - and its quite a different flavour from it too. The land is filled with castles, symbol stones, and famous road signs (Lost, pictured). The area is beautifully scenic with plenty of heritage trails.
For castles, Donside has your pick. There is Castle Forbes near Alford, Kemnay House and Ruined Corse Castle near Lumphanan. Not bad for a short drive from Aberdeen. Castle Forbes is around 50 minutes drive north-west of Aberdeen and Ruined Corse Castle is 50 minutes west - you can definitely visit both on the one trip! These Makes you think Aberdeenshire truly has everything.
The famous Lost in Aberdeenshire which has an appropriate sign gained national interest back in the 2000s. So if you ever feel like you’ve lost all hope and want a fitting selfie, then its a must-see. It is located just outside of the village Lost which is 40 miles west of Aberdeen.
Glenfinnan Viaduct
A viaduct you say?! Not any viaduct - the Harry Potter Bridge.
Glenfinnan has 1000s of people visiting from all over the world to experience the beautiful scenery and special atmosphere. The Jacobite steam train runs from here to Fort William and Mallaig in summer months with regular trains available the rest of the year.
Harry Potter and the Chambers of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban were both filmed in this area as the Hogwarts Express calling at Glenfinnan! In August every year, on the Saturday closest to 19 August, the Glenfinnan Gathering and Games take place.
You can get there by taking the A96 west out of Aberdeen. It takes around 4 hours drive and 167 miles - but trust us, it’s worth it if you’re a train or Harry Potter fan that is. Who could resist riding a train in such beautiful scenery? Also, we recommend being a confident driver before taking on this one - these roads can be quite intimidating to navigate for younger drivers - stay safe!
Dundee
The city of discovery is south of Aberdeen is Dundee, home of GoRoadie. Dundee is a great little day trip. Start in town, walk down to the waterfront to visit the V&A Museum - voted one of the best places to visit in Time Magazine. Next, drive up to Camperdown Park to see the Zoo. Afterwards, you can drive along to Broughty Ferry beach and have ice-cream at Visocchi.
The V&A is the first design museum in Scotland and sits on the River Tay. To visit, there is no entry cost and there are pay and display parking outside. There are a number of free exhibits, a coffee shop, bar and restaurant. There are select paid exhibits to see too; recently an Oceanliners exhibit was shown as was a Video Games Live exhibit.
Camperdown Zoo has a host of animals including bears, wolves and meerkats. There is also a place to eat.
From Aberdeen, you can take the A90 south and should be in the city within 80 minutes - it’s a simple 70-mile drive. Also, it’s a great excuse to get on the new Aberdeen bypass if driving from Aberdeen Airport or the North of the City.
About GoRoadie and Aberdeen
The Scottish based GoRoadie, an online platform which enables learner drivers to connect with driving instructors, has taken to Aberdeen’s roads! We have helped 1000s of learners in the area get started with driving lessons.
Barry White, co-founder of GoRoadie said, "We are hugely excited to be launching in Aberdeen. We have been working with instructors and students in the city for the past month to prepare for our launch, and their feedback has been extremely valuable."
You can find Aberdeen Driving Lessons on GoRoadie and book your instructor straight from your phone.
Aberdeen Driving Lesson Guide
Fit Like?! Since we love the granite city. We are helping learners in Aberdeen get started with their driving lessons and we have an in-depth guide to helping them learn to drive in the city.
