Kids Days Out In Aberdeen
Aberdeen holds up well for a family day out, and a lot of the best of it costs nothing. The beach runs for two miles from the harbour north towards the Don, with a promenade behind it, and Codona's Pleasure Fair sits at the southern end for rides and amusements. The Beach Leisure Centre nearby covers swimming when the North Sea looks unappealing, which it often does.
Indoors, Aberdeen Science Centre is the pick for hands on exhibits and works across a wide age range. The Maritime Museum on Shiprow is free and tells the city's fishing, shipbuilding and North Sea oil story better than that sounds, and the Gordon Highlanders Museum covers the regiment's history. For younger children, Dizzy Rascals and Little Monsters both run indoor play.
Out of town, The Den and the Glen at Maryculter combines woodland walks with nursery rhyme characters and play areas, and Hayfield Riding Centre offers lessons and hacks. Duthie Park's Winter Gardens, one of the largest indoor gardens in Europe, is free and a reliable wet weather option.
The granite city is compact enough to walk, and Union Street puts most of the museums within ten minutes of each other.
