Is Aberdeen Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

Updated On November 7, 2023
Aberdeen, United Kingdom
Safety Index:
63
* Based on Research & Crime Data
User Sentiment:
53
* Rated 53 / 100 based on 12 user reviews.

Aberdeen is the third-largest city in Scotland.

It is known as two things: the center of the North Sea Oil industry and a place of gorgeous granite architecture.

Aberdeen is a fairly compact city, and when you are there you don’t get as much of the feeling of being in a big city as you would in Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Aberdeen is an architecturally attractive city with many historic buildings, although they all tend to be grey having been built from the abundant granite found in the area.

Pair this with the near-permanent rain along with a steady, often stiff offshore breeze – and it’s no wonder that many people describe the city as “too grey”.

Warnings & Dangers in Aberdeen

Overall Risk

OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM

Aberdeen is considered mostly a safe city. Even though there are parts that are dangerous and should be avoided, it is, for the most part, completely safe to travel to, and if you use your common sense, your trip should go smoothly.

Transport & Taxis Risk

TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW

Taxis and other forms of transportation are known to be very safe and reliable in Aberdeen, as would be expected in a city belonging to such a developed European country.

Pickpockets Risk

PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW

Pickpocketing is the most common form of street crime in Aberdeen, albeit rare too. It is common to a certain degree and there are even some locations known for pickpocketing being reported there mainly popular landmarks. Take basic precaution measures and minimize your chances of being pickpocketed.

Natural Disasters Risk

NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW

You can relax when it comes to natural disasters, because, apart from constant raining, there are no threats in Aberdeen!

Mugging Risk

MUGGING RISK: LOW

When it comes to mugging and kidnapping, Aberdeen is mostly safe. However, you should be careful and avoid dangerous areas where you could get attacked.

Terrorism Risk

TERRORISM RISK: HIGH

The United Kingdom has recently been targeted by terrorist attacks and it is now publicly announced that the threat to the UK is severe.

Scams Risk

SCAMS RISK: LOW

Since it is so filled with tourists, it only makes sense that there will always be people trying to scam them. Always be cautious with people trying to distract you, help you with your luggage, or groups of people acting strange. Always check your change twice and negotiate everything in advance

Women Travelers Risk

WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

Aberdeen is mostly very safe for women to travel to. Just follow your basic common sense and general rules of things to avoid, and you should be fine.

So... How Safe Is Aberdeen Really?

Aberdeen is, for the most part, a safe city though it does have its dangers.

There are a couple of places that shouldn’t be considered a great location to live in Aberdeen, and these are Tillydrone, Sandilands drive, Northfield, Balnagask, Manor Avenue and Seaton.

The great thing about Aberdeen is how the police patrol the city; everywhere you go at any time of the night, you must see a police patrol team after a couple of minutes passing with their car.

The biggest nuisance for tourists has to be the risk of pickpockets, so you should be very careful when visiting important city landmarks and tourist areas, or crowded places such as airports, train or bus stations, and public transportation.

Do not leave your valuables in plain sight or at a visible place in a locked car, and always lock the car when exiting the vehicle.

Pickpockets, as well as beggars often work in teams.

Another thing to watch out for is crossing the roads since every year tourists suffer from traffic accidents because the British people drive on the left side of the road which is highly confusing for people from around the world.

How Does Aberdeen Compare?

CitySafety Index
Aberdeen63
London68
Northern Ireland56
Belfast56
Edinburgh70
Scotland71
Glasgow55
Buenos Aires (Argentina)60
Vancouver (Canada)82
Cordoba (Argentina)61
Toronto (Canada)81
Melbourne (Australia)80
Montreal (Canada)81

Useful Information

Visas

Visas

Member countries of the EU do not need visas to enter the United Kingdom, as well as some other countries, but there is a considerable number of countries that do. Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into the United Kingdom.

Currency

Currency

The British pound is the currency in Aberdeen. Keep in mind that this is one of the most expensive countries in Europe and the prices of accommodation in most cities in the country are skyrocketing. You should bear in mind that you will need about 100£ per day, including accommodation.

Weather

Weather

The weather in Aberdeen is mild, although a few degrees colder than much of the rest of Britain. This means it has cool summers, and heavy rainfalls during the year. The best time to visit is during summer, from June to August.

Airports

Airports

The busiest airport in Aberdeen is the Aberdeen International Airport. It is located at Dyce, some 11 km from the city center.

Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance

Just like anywhere else, we recommend getting travel insurance when traveling to Aberdeen, since it covers not only the costs of medical problems but also theft and loss of valuables.

Click here to get an offer for travel insurance

Aberdeen Weather Averages (Temperatures)

Jan 3° C
Feb 4° C
Mar 5° C
Apr 7° C
May 9° C
Jun 12° C
Jul 14° C
Aug 14° C
Sep 12° C
Oct 9° C
Nov 5° C
Dec 4° C
Choose Temperature Unit

Average High/Low Temperature

Temperature / MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High
°C
6681012151717151287
Low
°C
01235810108621
High
°F
434346505459636359544645
Low
°F
323436374146505046433634

United Kingdom - Safety by City

CitySafety Index
Aberdeen63
Bath81
Belfast56
Birmingham44
Bradford42
Brighton67
Bristol58
Cambridge78
Canterbury79
Cardiff64
Coventry41
Dundee60
Edinburgh70
Exeter77
Glasgow55
Inverness73
Leeds56
Leicester43
Liverpool56
London68
Manchester44
Newcastle upon Tyne72
Northern Ireland56
Nottingham56
Oxford66
Peterborough70
Salford43
Scotland71
Sheffield74
Southampton65
Surrey77
York83

Where to Next?

12 Reviews on Aberdeen

  1. B
    Bazza Ritchie says:

    Terrible review

    Shocking report definitely not Aberdeen. Naming areas that you should not live in when you know nothing about is a big lie. Aberdeen is a safe place. Begging yes there are plenty of this but scamming is zero. Please do not believe this story. This person obviously has went on a day trip and not lived here

  2. T
    Tom Davidson says:

    Better places to go in Scotland

    To be honest it’s a real dump, the city council has ruined the city, neglected matinance of roads, pavements, drains, rubbish collection, traffic management has became a joke, pubs full of roudy unfriendly mobs that are on ego Boosts, drug problem out of control, petty thieft the same, as for police every two minutes this is true, but they never get out of there cars and avoid conflict, famous saying there was no one hurt so we won’t be urgently attending, bike theft is rediclus and police do nothing even if you have evidence, food eating places poor, its mostly chains, shopping main street has more empty premises than full ones unless you want fast food or a charity shop…… My advice pass through to some where more welcoming……

  3. Beautiful Aberdeen (Granite City)

    I live in Aberdeen, and agree to a certain extent with both of the above reviews, but depends if you are a glass half full person?
    But what I I will say is that we have the most beautiful parks, walks and beach, yes the council have been appalling at maintaining parts in recent years but it will not spoil your visit.
    Aberdeen is one of the safest city’s in Aberdeen, and has lots of lovely restaurants and bars, each with their own character, you just need to look slightly off the Main Street. We have 4 cinemas, award winning art gallery, two beautiful theatres, two old and stunning dance halls.
    We also now have the brand new P and J arena just waiting for corona to pass so we can have big name concerts.
    A few min out of Aberdeen visitors are spoilt for walks, stunning mountains, and numerous castles to visit.
    With one of the oldest universities set next to beautiful parks and beach, what more could you want.

  4. West is best

    I feel it is important to remain in the West end of Union Street. The other end is frequented by rat faced junkies, beggars and smelly bag women. Stay safe and avoid Seaton and Tillydrone and your trip should be ok.

    1. C
      Colin MacDonald says:

      Tillydrone is grim but I walk through it often and have never felt unsafe, and I’m about as physically imposing as Mickey Rooney. I’ve known only person to be robbed in the street this last 20 years, I should say attempted robbery, he’s a big lad and was able to fend off his attackers.
      I can’t honestly say I’ve ever known anyone get pickpocketed either.

  5. M
    Monkey Face says:

    Can't fail if looking for "love"

    Aberdeen is a great city and has good night life. The girls wear next to nothing and if you buy one a half of cider you will probably get a shag. If you find a girl actually wearing knickers you will be unluckyThe best bars are Revolution, Soul and Kirkgate bar.Please have some change for the beggars in the town centre. They really are the salt of the earth and one enterprising family has 5 separate beggars. Best restaurant is Goulash in the Adelphi for decent Hungarian food. The police are amazing and love to chat to inebriated youths.

  6. A
    Anonymous says:

    aberdeen

    lovely city stay away from harlaw though chavs

    1. H
      Harry Law says:

      Mental St. Megs

      If you think Harlaw is bad you will cower with fear when you see the Saint Margarets school girls- poshers

  7. S
    Sturgeon revenge says:

    Minkers

    Very safe city on charity street collection days, they all stay in then.

  8. S
    Scrooge says:

    Money for me

    Aberdeen is extremely safe on charity collection days, they all stay at home then.

  9. E
    Eskimo Nell says:

    Icy not spicy

    Aberdeen is really really safe. It is too cold to go out.

  10. B
    Big Red says:

    Aberdeen Aberdeen Aberdeen

    Aberdeen is definitely not safe when the football team known as Aberdeen fc are playing. The fans all leave as if they have been attacked by tear gas. It is, however just another last minute goal against them ( which was actually offside) that has robbed the once mighty ” Dons” of a draw against a fellow perennial relegation skirter. Best not to wear your Rangers scarf, no matter how cold it is because you will definitely get a good hiding.

Aberdeen Rated 2.67 / 5 based on 12 user reviews.

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