B and B or hotel recommendations in Aberdeen, Scotland?

I would think twice about staying in Aberdeen unless you really have to. No problem with the city itself, good shops, amenities, places of interest - but chock full of oil men (and women). Accommodation can be hard to find during the week, though much more available at weekends. If you want to visit Aberdeen then stay somewhere nearby and take public transport into the city. Maybe somewhere on Royal Deeside and use the bus, or Huntly and take the train.

If you really have to stay in Aberdeen then have a look at www.visitscotland.com for accommodation ideas. Go for B&B/Guest Houses - much cheaper than hotels. Sorry I can't recommend anywhere specific. PM me if I can help further.

I had the same idea a few years ago. But I changed my mind when I saw the prices of the hotels. Aberdeen is very much a town of commerce and so the hotels tend to be pricey unless you stay over the weekend. I ended up staying in Ballater which was pretty good. I think Banchory might be a tad more centrally located. Check them out on the web and see what you think.

Pam

Thank you both for the feedback. It is really helpful!
Why Aberdeen? We are castle fanatics and there are quite a few in the area from what we understand. Is there another town near the train systems in that area you can recommend staying at instead? Elgin maybe?

Thanks again,
M

There is a castle trail in Aberdeenshire and this is the link:-

http://www.agtb.org/castletrail.htm

However you would be much better off hiring a car and driving around. Some castles are a bit off the beaten track with regards to public transport. Rail/bus links are very limited. If you can't hire a car then I suggest you stay in Ballater and will have Braemar (weekends only), Balmoral, Crathes and Drum castles easily accessible on the 201 bus route. You can also walk to the ruin of Knock Castle which is just outside Ballater.

Please do be aware though that although some buildings are called "castles", this may not fit in with your expectations! I mention this because someone on the Trip Advisor website got quite stressed when a castle he visited was not the mighty fortress he expected.

Scotland is chock full of castles and you won't have trouble finding them!