Aberdeen holds the dubious honour of being the UK's coldest city, but its oceanic climate actually makes for milder winter temperatures than you might expect given its northerly location.
Aberdonians take pride in their great number of wonderful outdoor spaces to explore in all seasons, and it's certainly worth making time for these when you visit.
There are 45 parks and gardens across the city, and its floral displays are considerably more numerous. Aberdeen's green spaces have received many well-deserved accolades, including winning Britain in Bloom's 'Best City' award ten times, Scotland in Bloom an impressive twenty times, and incredibly it has held the large city title every year since 1968!
Aberdeen City Council has a comprehensive list of the city's parks and gardens, and it's almost impossible to single out just a few green spaces to concentrate on.
We particularly love the small but incredibly photogenic Johnston gardens, Hazlehead Park (complete with mini zoo), Cruickshank Botanic Garden, Seaton Park (from which there is easy access to the popular 17th century Brig O' Balgownie) and Duthie Park (home to the lovely David Welch Winter Gardens), although there are many others.
As well as a myriad of gardens, parks and green spaces, Aberdeen has its own spectacular golden sandy beach just a few moments from the city centre. Slightly further afield is the beautiful Balmedie beach with its impressive dunes - the location is well-served by the local buses and can also be reached on foot from Footdee, a pleasant walk taking approximately 3 hours.
Aberdeen's wildlife is an attraction of its own, with a resident pod of bottlenose dolphins often spotted from the city. The best time and place to see them is between the orange breakwater wall and the lighthouse during summer months, but they often appear elsewhere too. If you want to make a project of seeing Aberdeen's dolphins, you can (somewhat counterintuitively) contact the RSPB's Dolphinwatch to book a tour.