sound
sound

sound:

north east scotland's festival of new music

local information

This page provides information about the Aberdeenshire area including travel information, accommodation, and things to do.

travel

Travel information is provided here with directions for reaching Aberdeen by road, by rail and by air. Elsewhere in this site, the venues section gives detail of the individual locations in use for the sound festival, along with maps for their locations.

by rail
There is an overnight sleeper service from London to Aberdeen, hourly trains from Glasgow and Edinburgh or direct services from London, Birmingham, Plymouth, Newcastle, York.
by road
Aberdeen is accessible by road from Edinburgh or Glasgow in around two and a half hours. From Glasgow take the M8/M80-A80/M9-A9 north to Perth or from Edinburgh the A90-M90 north to Perth, and then the A90 trunk road to Aberdeen. Alternatively from Perth, take the more scenic A93 over Glenshee and via Braemar.
by air
Aberdeen Airport is situated 7 miles north west of the city. It is served by flights from throughout the UK, including daily flights to and from London, as well as international destinations such as Amsterdam, Dublin, Esbjerg, Paris and Stavanger.

accommodation

hotels
We are pleased to be associated with the Aberdeen Douglas Hotel to offer reduced price hotel rooms from Thursdays to Sundays during the festival.
  • Single Room £45.00 B&B
  • Twin/Double Room £60.00 B&B
    Please contact reservations@aberdeendouglas.com
bed and breakfast
bed and breakfast accommodation in the city of Aberdeen
self-catering
self-catering cottages in beautiful countryside near Aboyne

things to do

art
  • Peacock Visual Arts
    Peacock Visual Arts is the main contemporary visual arts organisation in Aberdeen and the North-east of Scotland.
  • Aberdeen Art Gallery
    Aberdeen Art Gallery opened in 1885. In its elegant marble-lined interior is displayed a varied collection of works of art, including outstanding examples of Modern Art, and work by the Impressionists and the Scottish Colourists. Visitors can also see contemporary craft, Aberdeen silver and a wide range of decorative art.
  • Limousine Bull
    Limousine Bull is a committee-run artists' collective which has been resident in Torry in Aberdeen since January 2005.
  • North East Open Studios
    North East Open Studios is an award winning collective of artists, makers and galleries based in northeast Scotland, who open their doors to the public yearly.
mountains
The Cairngorms National Park has the largest area of arctic mountain landscape in the UK at its heart, with diverse communities around it. It is home to 16,000 people and 25% of Britain's threatened birds, animals, and plants. It includes moorlands, forests, rivers, lochs and glens.
castles
Aberdeenshire is full of beautiful visitable castles – Crathes, Fyvie, Castle Fraser, Craigievar, Dunnotar to name but a few…
villages
The Aberdeenshire coast is peppered with attractive fishing villages such as Pennan, film location for local hero, and Portsoy. Inland there are also many attractive villages and areas to visit such as Royal Deeside.
cafes/restaurants