Sport in Aberdeenshire

By Gordon Walker

Golfer’s paradise

To truly experience the delights of inland golf you can choose from 45 inland courses. From the highest tee in Scotland at Dufftown, or the new development at Ballindalloch Castle, enjoy the tranquil setting of our castle country at Alford or Turriff, or relish the engaging tests at Newmachar. Make sure you take time to discover the magnificent panorama of Royal Deeside with Inchmarlo, Banchory and Aboyne setting the pace. Or enjoy some holiday golf on one of the many pay and play courses, such as the new development at Aboyne Loch or the popular choice of Aberdeen municipal courses with Hazlehead a firm favourite.

Aberdeen is also a football city – you can watch Premier and Highland League football with Aberdeen Football Club, known universally as the Dons, and Cove Rangers respectively. The city also plays host every year to the International Football Festival, an event that attracts hundreds of youth players from around the world for a week of exciting competition. For aqua fun, try the Beach Leisure Centre with its flumes and other exciting water features including fountains and a wave pool.

Trump International Golf Links

Ice hockey enthusiasts and skaters can enjoy the facilities of the Linx Ice Arena which adjoins the Beach Leisure Centre. A number of privately-run health clubs in the city also offer superb facilities which help keep the people of Aberdeen on their toes.

If tennis is your game, Aberdeen Tennis Centre boasts four indoor courts and five floodlit all-weather courts. The City of Aberdeen Bowling Tournament is another major event on the sporting calendar. Indoor bowling fans also enjoy excellent facilities in the city including those available at the Bon Accord Indoor Bowling Centre in the heart of the city.

Golfers can choose from 25 links courses like the traditional links of Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay, Murcar and Moray Old to the courses of Cullen, Stonehaven, Royal Tarlair and Fraserburgh

Quality fishing

Bounded as it is by the North Sea on the one side and the stunning scenery of Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms on another, Aberdeen is the gateway to a huge range of other sporting options. Stroll along the beach front any day and you’ll see windsurfers, canoeists, roller skaters, cyclists, joggers and other walkers. Inland, the area is a favourite with walkers, whether they are enjoying some of the walks in the city environs or taking to the hills for some more challenging hill walks. Other activities such as mountain biking, clay pigeon shooting and even gliding are all easily accessible from Aberdeen.

The region is also famed for the quality of its fishing. The rivers Findhorn, Deveron, Lossie, Ythan and Ugie provide a heady mix of challenges for beginners and experienced anglers alike. The River Spey, for example, is one of the most important salmon fishing rivers in the North East.

It’s Scotland’s fastest flowing river and supports a major spawning population of the Atlantic salmon. If you prefer sea angling, you’re well catered for in this area. Tiny villages and picturesque harbours dotted along miles stunning coastline, provide an excellent base for a fishing holiday. Try sea trout fishing off the east or west beaches in Lossiemouth or rock fishing – for mackerel and haddock – around Aberdeen or further south at Stonehaven.

There are also many programmes for people with disabilities. Many of the athletes involved in these programmes have gone on to win medals at major sporting events including the Special Olympics. If you’re looking for adventure, the list of sporting and leisure activity opportunities available is seemingly endless – horse riding, skiing and snowboarding, watersports including white water rafting, sailing, rowing and scuba diving, cycling, gorge walking, gymnastics, martial arts, running, little wonder that Aberdeenshire is proud of what it has to offer.

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