The diving throughout the Aberdeen coast is much better than you would expect. Whilst there are some very good boat dives including some reasonable wrecks, during a three year period of living there we specialised in rock-hopper shore dives. From Peterhead in the north right down to Auchmithie in the south we frequented numerous sites including Cove Bay, Portlethen and Stonehaven (Dunottar Castle Bay). There are several good dive shops that will direct visitors to good shore dive sites and advise on everything from parking to accommodation.
Most sites offer the opportunity to drop in between 10-20 metres without the need for extensive finning (but watch the tides and plan well). Viz can be as good as 20m but is often less. Rocky reefs are split by deep gullies full of life including some impressive crabs and lobsters. Fish include cod, haddock, pout, conger and various flatfish including plaice, flounder and the occasional sole. A friend and I once had a very up-close-and-personal encounter with a massive portugese man o' war which was fascinating but, by far the most impressive sight is the salmon running which takes perseverance but is worth the effort. Hiding behind rocks or in a gully whilst several hundred of these magnificent fish pass by a few feet away ranks with anything I've experienced in the Indian Ocean or the Med.
Aberdeen is a cosmopolitan town with good restaurants, hotels, bars and clubs. Although I lived there (so didn't need accommodation) I would recommend bed & breakfast over hotels as you are more likely to experience good, northeastern hospitality. A must is to buy hot Aberdeen rolls (also known as Morning rolls) from any one of the small bakeries in the area and, in the evening to find a good plate of Stovies (a rich stew).
Clearly the best time to go is in the summer (July, August, September) when you get very long days but year round diving is possible with the right equipment and planning (especially weather reports). Bob Watts
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