Where and when: Aberdeen, UK, March 2026
After an excellent breakfast, we left Maryculter House late in the morning and headed back into Aberdeen. As we had done the previous day, we left our luggage at the Station Hotel so that we could spend the day exploring the city without having to drag our bags around.
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Our first stop was the Aberdeen Maritime Museum.
The museum turned out to be well worth the time. The museum tells the story of Scotland’s long relationship with the sea, from Aberdeen’s maritime and colonial trading past through to the modern-day oil and gas industry in the North Sea.
There was plenty to see, covering everything from shipbuilding and fishing to the development of offshore oil exploration. It was particularly interesting to see how Aberdeen’s relationship with the sea has changed over the centuries.
If you have an interest in maritime history, I would definitely recommend allowing a couple of hours for a visit.
Aberdeen Art Gallery
From the Maritime Museum, we headed into the city centre and visited Aberdeen Art Gallery.
Again, this was well worth the time.
The collection covers a wide range of periods and styles, as well as a number od historical artefacts. But even if you are not particularly interested in art, the building itself is worth a visit. The gallery occupies an impressive historic building which has been beautifully restored and modernised.
One of the highlights for us was the café at the top of the building. It has panoramic views across the city, making it a great place to stop for a coffee and take a break from sightseeing.
A Few Bookshops Before the Train
By late afternoon, it was time to start making our way back towards the station.
We still had several hours before our train, so naturally we couldn’t simply head straight there. Instead, we took a slightly roundabout route via several bookshops.
Being a Sunday, Aberdeen was beginning to shut down around 4 pm, leaving us with a few hours to fill before our train.
Fortunately, there was an easy solution.
Project Hail Mary
We headed to the cinema next to the station and spent the remaining time watching Project Hail Mary.
It was actually a rather good way to finish the trip. After a couple of days of walking around Aberdeen and visiting museums and galleries, sitting down in a comfortable cinema for a few hours was a welcome change of pace.
Soon afterwards, it was time to head to the station.
Back Home on the Caledonian Sleeper
We boarded our return sleeper train to Birmingham and settled into our cabin for the overnight journey home.
And just like that, our Aberdeen weekend had come to an end.
The Caledonian Sleeper had worked particularly well for this trip. Travelling overnight meant that we could make the most of our time in Aberdeen without losing a day to travelling. We had arrived in the city ready to explore and were able to spend our final day sightseeing right up until it was time to board the train home.
I’ve written a separate post about our experience of travelling on the Caledonian Sleeper, including details of the cabins, food and the journey between Birmingham and Aberdeen, so have a look at that if you’re considering trying the sleeper yourself.
Overall, Aberdeen had been a really enjoyable weekend break. There was far more to see than I had expected, from its maritime history and impressive granite architecture to its art galleries, historic streets and coastal heritage.
I also love how “non-touristy” Aberdeen was. Except for cruise ship passengers in the summer Aberdeen is not a major part of the tourist trail in Scotland. The town is quite different to what it was during it’s heyday as a centre of oil and gas exploration, but it is still a welcoming city with much to see and do.
Would I come back? Yes. There are still plenty of things we didn’t get around to seeing, so I suspect this won’t be our last visit to the Granite City.
Diary of a Tourist 