Aberdeen Harbour
Aberdeen Harbour
3.5
Monday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
About
This historic harbor was a primary driving force behind the growth of Aberdeen's prominent fishing industry in the early 20th century.
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3.5
185 reviews
Excellent
50
Very good
63
Average
51
Poor
11
Terrible
10
Paul Legate
United Kingdom21,893 contributions
Oct 2018
Aberdeen Harbour is an important part of the city with a 900 year history, it was first established in 1136 by King David 1st of Scotland. I caught the Northlink Ferry from Aberdeen to Kirkwall and I had an excellent view of the harbour from the upper deck of the vessel. Travelling out towards the North Sea it was possible see a large proportion of the working harbour and I was able to get a better vantage point than I would have done from land side. A worthwhile area of the city to explore.
Written 24 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Suzanne K
Aberdeen, UK3 contributions
Jun 2013 • Friends
Aberdeen’s harbour is very busy and it’s quite difficult to have a close look when going on your own. But since one year, the Clyde Cruise’s boat brings every day tourists around the harbour. There is a commentary on board about the vessels and the way the harbour works. Sometimes the trip includes a tour much closer to the entrance of the harbour where dolphins can be seen!
For a wonderful view over the harbour and the city of Aberdeen, go to Torry Battery. From there you can see the dolphins as well; they come very often between the two breakwaters at the entrance of the harbour. You have to be a bit patient, they are not always there in the first ten minutes, wait a bit and they will surprise you. Last time I went there, there were about 20 dolphins jumping all around the place, it was incredibly beautiful! It’s definitely somewhere you should go and have a look!
For a wonderful view over the harbour and the city of Aberdeen, go to Torry Battery. From there you can see the dolphins as well; they come very often between the two breakwaters at the entrance of the harbour. You have to be a bit patient, they are not always there in the first ten minutes, wait a bit and they will surprise you. Last time I went there, there were about 20 dolphins jumping all around the place, it was incredibly beautiful! It’s definitely somewhere you should go and have a look!
Written 5 June 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gourmetflaneur
York, UK1,024 contributions
Sept 2012 • Couples
Aberdeen
The rail journey from Edinburgh is a delight. There are wonderful coastal views of the Forth, the Tay and the North Sea. The infamous Tay Bridge over the silvery river is but a thin strip level after the grandeur of the Forth Bridge and its diamond shaped towers and cantilevered struts. The train stutters through industrial wastelands that shame the once prosperous towns of Dundee and Kirkcaldy but they are quickly replaced by the isolated charm of Cupar and the promise of St Andrews. Montrose and its vast inland lagoon is a surprise as is the distant view of Stonehaven.
Aberdeen is announced by the view of the harbour which is no longer thronged with the herring fleet or the larger cod boats but is a high tech gadget strewn flotilla of oil field supply ships with heli pads where once gulls roosted.
Its granite buildings are at once imposing but a sad reflection of a more steadfast past. Despite the flash of expensive cars there is a sense
of lost prosperity in the once golden mile of Union Street. New shopping arcades are either as unprepossessing as in any other town or show the age and strain of poor architecture and poorer materials in the decades of crass modernisation from the sixties on. But there are gems. The Provost Skene House is ruggedly delightful, albeit monstrously surrounded by the ugliest modern buildings imaginable. The beauty of the house has been brutalised by its loss of space and approach. The inside reveals spiral stone staircases, wonderful wood panelling and above all a remarkable painted room of religious scenes. How it survived the iconoclasm of the reformer zeal is unknown and unimaginable. The fact the house survived
at all is equally a mystery surrounded as it is by the worst excesses of modernisation. It could easily have suffered the fate of fine Scottish medieval buildings in Dundee: not bombed, but bulldozed by local planners and politicians with no vision, no scruples and no sense of community or heritage.
Equally impressive are the art gallery and the maritime museum. The former comes alive essentially from the Victorian era. Glasgow boys and Scottish colourists are displayed alongside Pre-Raphaelites, impressionists and an intriguing display of modernists. Naive Cornish artists and the likes of Gavin Turk are represented alongside Stanley Spencer and Nash.
How wonderful to see Peploe, Lindsay Hunter, Cadell and Blackadder.
The Maritime Museum is a joy and a wonder pulling together history, changing technology and industry. And immediately outside is the living harbour. On theone side are the boats for the oil industry and yards full of chains and steel sheets and the sound of grinding and welding. the other side has the ferry terminal for the Orkneys and Shetland isles. By the mouth of the harbour is Footdee, a 19th Century collection of fishing family homes. The walk from the Maritime Museum to Footdee illustrates the dramatic change from fishing port to oil industry support and service. The Footdee homes are no longer for fisherfolk it appeared but the layout of housing, simple sheds for boat and fishing gear arranged around squares was still evident even if some sheds accommodated bars and barbecues.
Surprising to me was that from here a long promenade and beach stretches north. It was a wonderful (and bracing) walk along to the Don and then back through Old Aberdeen. The walk to the Don along the coast is a relief from the roads but the real promise of the shoreline was the littoral running north I could see enticingly in the distance.
In Old Aberdeen you get a feel for the early days of a university that was soon overtaken by the expansion of the harbour and fishing, only for the two strands of learning and industry to find a harmony and common interest in the work of the scientific interest in oil and sea robotics. How I enjoyed the Maritime Museum!
It was a brief visit but one to whet the appetite. There was a wonderful pub, The Grill, in Union Street just round the corner from the B&B. Close by was the Foyer restaurant, an enterprise to support the work of an organisation that supports the vulnerable and disadvantaged.
This is a working town. The B&Bs are expensive in the week and rates drop for the weekend. There are plenty to choose from, in quiet roads but right beside the town centre and five minutes’ walk to the station and the journey home.
The rail journey from Edinburgh is a delight. There are wonderful coastal views of the Forth, the Tay and the North Sea. The infamous Tay Bridge over the silvery river is but a thin strip level after the grandeur of the Forth Bridge and its diamond shaped towers and cantilevered struts. The train stutters through industrial wastelands that shame the once prosperous towns of Dundee and Kirkcaldy but they are quickly replaced by the isolated charm of Cupar and the promise of St Andrews. Montrose and its vast inland lagoon is a surprise as is the distant view of Stonehaven.
Aberdeen is announced by the view of the harbour which is no longer thronged with the herring fleet or the larger cod boats but is a high tech gadget strewn flotilla of oil field supply ships with heli pads where once gulls roosted.
Its granite buildings are at once imposing but a sad reflection of a more steadfast past. Despite the flash of expensive cars there is a sense
of lost prosperity in the once golden mile of Union Street. New shopping arcades are either as unprepossessing as in any other town or show the age and strain of poor architecture and poorer materials in the decades of crass modernisation from the sixties on. But there are gems. The Provost Skene House is ruggedly delightful, albeit monstrously surrounded by the ugliest modern buildings imaginable. The beauty of the house has been brutalised by its loss of space and approach. The inside reveals spiral stone staircases, wonderful wood panelling and above all a remarkable painted room of religious scenes. How it survived the iconoclasm of the reformer zeal is unknown and unimaginable. The fact the house survived
at all is equally a mystery surrounded as it is by the worst excesses of modernisation. It could easily have suffered the fate of fine Scottish medieval buildings in Dundee: not bombed, but bulldozed by local planners and politicians with no vision, no scruples and no sense of community or heritage.
Equally impressive are the art gallery and the maritime museum. The former comes alive essentially from the Victorian era. Glasgow boys and Scottish colourists are displayed alongside Pre-Raphaelites, impressionists and an intriguing display of modernists. Naive Cornish artists and the likes of Gavin Turk are represented alongside Stanley Spencer and Nash.
How wonderful to see Peploe, Lindsay Hunter, Cadell and Blackadder.
The Maritime Museum is a joy and a wonder pulling together history, changing technology and industry. And immediately outside is the living harbour. On theone side are the boats for the oil industry and yards full of chains and steel sheets and the sound of grinding and welding. the other side has the ferry terminal for the Orkneys and Shetland isles. By the mouth of the harbour is Footdee, a 19th Century collection of fishing family homes. The walk from the Maritime Museum to Footdee illustrates the dramatic change from fishing port to oil industry support and service. The Footdee homes are no longer for fisherfolk it appeared but the layout of housing, simple sheds for boat and fishing gear arranged around squares was still evident even if some sheds accommodated bars and barbecues.
Surprising to me was that from here a long promenade and beach stretches north. It was a wonderful (and bracing) walk along to the Don and then back through Old Aberdeen. The walk to the Don along the coast is a relief from the roads but the real promise of the shoreline was the littoral running north I could see enticingly in the distance.
In Old Aberdeen you get a feel for the early days of a university that was soon overtaken by the expansion of the harbour and fishing, only for the two strands of learning and industry to find a harmony and common interest in the work of the scientific interest in oil and sea robotics. How I enjoyed the Maritime Museum!
It was a brief visit but one to whet the appetite. There was a wonderful pub, The Grill, in Union Street just round the corner from the B&B. Close by was the Foyer restaurant, an enterprise to support the work of an organisation that supports the vulnerable and disadvantaged.
This is a working town. The B&Bs are expensive in the week and rates drop for the weekend. There are plenty to choose from, in quiet roads but right beside the town centre and five minutes’ walk to the station and the journey home.
Written 20 November 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
George B
Aberdeen, UK1,538 contributions
Oct 2019 • Solo
The harbour stretches from Union Square in the city right down to Fittie at the mouth of the River Dee. Huge numbers of vessels here including Shetland Ferry.
There are 3 separate dock basins to visit, one along Regent Quay, central area and Torry Dock along the riverside.
So many different types of vessels to see including huge oil support vessels.
One of the best areas to see this is at Torry going along the River to Torry Battery.
Great views from here over a different panoramic view. Also good views from 3rd floor of the Maritime museum which is free entry. At Torry Battery good view of the wind farm where they moor around 12 ships awaiting business.
There is a dry dock at end near Fittie which usually has some ships being worked on.
There are 3 separate dock basins to visit, one along Regent Quay, central area and Torry Dock along the riverside.
So many different types of vessels to see including huge oil support vessels.
One of the best areas to see this is at Torry going along the River to Torry Battery.
Great views from here over a different panoramic view. Also good views from 3rd floor of the Maritime museum which is free entry. At Torry Battery good view of the wind farm where they moor around 12 ships awaiting business.
There is a dry dock at end near Fittie which usually has some ships being worked on.
Written 24 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WorldGlutton
London, UK23,195 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
We planned to do spotting of the dolphins at sea, but as the weather was overcast and the sea choppy, thus we settle to the Cruise around the Aberdeen Harbour.
Unfortunately the fully narrated tour on the Cruise Ship was not clear as the recorded narration did not synchronize with the sceneries . However, we do enjoyed the whole ride as it was quite interesting to get a close up view of all the off-shore oil & gas support vessels berthed in the harbour & dock. The most exciting part of the whole cruise was we got to bring home some live
lobsters & crabs for our Dinner from the local fisherman at the dock owith the help of the friendly Cruise Captain & his crew. A memorable cruise experience !!!
Unfortunately the fully narrated tour on the Cruise Ship was not clear as the recorded narration did not synchronize with the sceneries . However, we do enjoyed the whole ride as it was quite interesting to get a close up view of all the off-shore oil & gas support vessels berthed in the harbour & dock. The most exciting part of the whole cruise was we got to bring home some live
lobsters & crabs for our Dinner from the local fisherman at the dock owith the help of the friendly Cruise Captain & his crew. A memorable cruise experience !!!
Written 28 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
robertelder
Troon, UK115 contributions
Nov 2019
An interesting harbour with a wide variety of ships. Plenty of places to watch and explore. It needs more places to sit, more toilets and food facilities and wind and rain shelters
Written 9 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BarbaraMacQ
Glasgow, UK27 contributions
Oct 2019
This is a typical working harbour, always ships coming and going and really very interesting, there are areas close by where you can sit and watch the ships coming and going - very interesting and steeped in history. By far the best viewpoint is the Torry Battery where you can sit on the hillside in your car eating fish and chips and watch the ships and also the dolphins !
Written 13 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
emurrayprojects
Mount Pearl, Canada50 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
In 1960's I started working in the shipyards in Aberdeen so the harbour was a familiar place to me. There used to be a large opening road bridge situated at the end of York Place where Hall Russel Shipbuilders used to be. This bridge used to take you from the East side of the harbour to the centre section. The bridge was removed in the sixties and traffic now has to drive the full length of the harbour to Market Street to get across to the opposite side and the opposite side is now Offshore Oil Businesses and is all fenced in.
You could walk along the Quayside on to the boats then but not now as the harbour in now fenced in.
Further over ther used to be a thriving fish market were a large fleet of trawlers used to land their catches but that has also vanished.
You could walk along the Quayside on to the boats then but not now as the harbour in now fenced in.
Further over ther used to be a thriving fish market were a large fleet of trawlers used to land their catches but that has also vanished.
Written 18 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pam S
Aberdeen, UK74 contributions
Apr 2016
This one hour boat trip around the harbour as a great experience, suitable for locals and tourists alike. Saw my home town from a whole new perspective. Unfortunately it was a bit rough so didn't get out into the bay yo look for the Dolphins. Guys on board so friendly and informative, kids got to steer the boat which they were thrilled about. Thoroughly recommend the trip with this company, details on their Facebook page.
Written 12 April 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Regerro
Aberdeen, UK33 contributions
Oct 2018 • Solo
The harbour is a short walk from the middle of town and it is well worth a visit. There are usually large oil containrers from all around the world. The ferry to the islands also disembark here and it is always bustling. There is usually lots of other ships to watch come and go out of the harbour.
Written 26 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there, I normally park on Marischal Street, there is parking there, but be aware I have a blue badge so don't have to worry about on street restrictions, so please check first
Written 30 June 2019
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