The city of Aberdeen is, of course, the focal point of Aberdeenshire. You can read more about what to see and do in Aberdeen in our dedicated destination guide.
Other towns worth visiting in Aberdeenshire include Fraserburgh, a fishing port at the very north-east corner of the Scottish mainland. As well as a beautiful 17-mile stretch of sandy beach, a few lovely places to eat and drink and a community-run heritage centre, Fraserburgh - which was home to Scotland's very first lighthouse, at Kinnaird Head Castle - is also the location of the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses. Fraserburgh also has the dubious honour of being the record-holder of the British mainland wind speed record - a whopping 144mph! When you look at its location, it's easy to understand why.
Located near the ruins of Dunottar Castle, the harbour town of Stonehaven is also among the more major settlements in Aberdeenshire outside the city of Aberdeen. There's a striking war memorial in the town with great views of the countryside, beach and out to sea, and a compact museum dedicated to the history of the area located in the old tollbooth. Grab yourself an ice cream or other sweet treat from Aunty Betty's or fish and chips from The Bay Fish & Chips, and take a stroll along the promenade if it's a nice day!
Peterhead is another busy fishing port, home to the Buchanhaven Heritage Centre dedicated to local history and culture and not far from the popular tourist attractions, including Slains Castle. The Peterhead Prison Museum in the town guides visitors through life in this enormous Victorian institution and covers its varied history from opening in the 1880s until it closed in 2013.
Inverurie sits further inland towards the beautiful Bennachie hills at the confluence of the Rivers Ury and Don, an excellent location from which to reach many of the best castles in Aberdeenshire. One of Europe's largest livestock sales, the Thainstone Mart, takes place here, and you can visit the medieval ruins of Kinkell Church.
In the north-west of Aberdeenshire near the boundary with Moray, the town of Huntly is the home of several historic attractions, including Huntly Castle and Leith Hall country house and gardens. This is a great place to stop and refuel as part of a day enjoying the great outdoors, as it's home to some excellent sweet treats in the form of Rizza's ice cream parlour and Dean's shortbread.
Something of a hub for outdoor adventures is the pretty village of Aboyne, which among other things, boasts an excellent golf course and the Deeside Activity Park, where you can choose from fishing, archery, clay pigeon shooting, 4x4 adventures, quad-biking and go-karting.
Banchory sits on the River Dee and is the location of the spectacular Falls of Feugh and close to the popular attraction of Crathes Castle.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, and the great thing about a Scottish road trip is that you can choose to stop off and visit as many of the other towns and villages in the area as you like.