Aberdeen Stag Do

An Aberdeen stag do is a smart pick for groups who’d rather skip the crowds of Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Granite City has two universities, oil money and a compact centre, which adds up to plenty of pubs and clubs without a long walk between them. Locals know how to have a night out, and they’ll happily show your stag how it’s done.

The other big plus is what’s around it. The North Sea coast, Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms are all on the doorstep, so you can pair a proper night out with a day outdoors that blows the cobwebs away. Literally, in most months.

Union Street is the main drag and the spine of the night, with bars, clubs and late venues on and around it. The Tunnels, a live music venue hidden underneath it, is worth a look if there’s a gig on. Belmont Street, just off Union Street, is the other cluster, with bars in some lovely old granite buildings.

For a traditional start, the Prince of Wales is a Victorian pub with a long bar and real ales, and it’s been serving Aberdonians for well over a century. Whisky is the obvious drink, with plenty of distilleries a drive away, and a ceilidh is a great way to watch the stag try to remember his left from his right.

Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms are made for active days. Think quad biking, clay pigeon shooting and fishing on some of Scotland’s most famous water. Golfers have serious coastal links courses nearby, so a golf stag do round is easy to arrange if the lads can handle a sea breeze.

If you’re visiting in September, the Braemar Gathering up on Deeside is one of the best known Highland Games around. The rest of the year, book your own Highland games and watch the stag try to toss a caber in a kilt. Closer to town, Dunnottar Castle near Stonehaven is a dramatic clifftop ruin, and the old fishing village of Footdee by the harbour is worth a hungover wander.

• Getting there. It’s a fair trek from the south, so fly into Aberdeen Airport, take the train via Edinburgh, or book the Caledonian Sleeper from London Euston and arrive with a bit of a head start.
• Drinking in public. Aberdeen has byelaws against drinking in public places, so keep the cans indoors.
• ID. Scottish bars take ID seriously. Make sure everyone carries some.
• Weather. Pack a proper coat, even in summer. The wind off the North Sea doesn’t care about your plans.
• Book tables. Saturday nights get busy, so reserve dinner for a big group.

For an Aberdeen stag weekend, I’d do one day in the hills and one in the city, with dinner somewhere warm in between and the stag in charge of nothing more complicated than ordering chips. Then Sunday gets spent on the beach promenade pretending the fresh air is helping. If you want to build a bigger Scottish trip, an Edinburgh stag do or Glasgow is a train ride south. Browse the packages below to see what’s on offer and lock in your dates early.

I’d base the group right in the city centre, as close to Union Street as you can get. It’s the main drag, with the bars, clubs and late venues all on it or just around it, so nobody needs a taxi to start the night or to get home from it. Belmont Street sits just off Union Street too, which means the two best clusters of bars are a short stagger from each other and from your beds.

The Granite City has a compact centre, and that’s the whole point of staying central. You can walk between pubs, regroup at the room before dinner and still find the stag when he wanders off. Staying out of town might look cheaper, but you’ll lose half the night to getting back in.

My practical tip: the wind off the North Sea is no joke, so a short walk home is worth paying a bit extra for. Pack a proper coat as well, even in summer.

Friday Get up there however suits the group. Fly into Aberdeen Airport, take the train via Edinburgh, or book the Caledonian Sleeper from Euston and roll in with a head start. Once the bags are dropped, I’d go straight to the Prince of Wales for a few real ales at that long Victorian bar, then drift over to Belmont Street for the rest of the evening. Keep the whisky in reserve. It’s a long weekend.

Saturday Daytime is for settling scores. I’d book go karting so the stag can prove he’s not the worst driver in the group, or paintballing if the lads would rather shoot him. If you’ve got a car and the energy, Dunnottar Castle near Stonehaven is a dramatic clifftop ruin for the group photo. Then dinner, booked well ahead, because Saturday nights get busy and big groups need a reservation. After that it’s Union Street until the doors close, with a look at The Tunnels under it if there’s a gig on. Make sure everyone has ID on them, because Scottish bars take it seriously.

Sunday Nobody’s fit for much, so I’d keep it gentle. Take a hungover wander round Footdee, the old fishing village by the harbour, then head out along the beach promenade and pretend the fresh air is fixing everything. Remember the byelaws against drinking in public places, so the hair of the dog stays indoors.