Aberdeen, located on the North East coast of Scotland, approximately 130 miles north of Edinburgh, and 530 miles north of London.

Why?
Because Aberdeen is the Oil and Gas capital of the UK. All the major players and many of the minor ones have offices in Aberdeen.
Companies like BP, ConocoPhillips, Shell, Total, ChevronTexaco, Amec, Halliburton, KBR, Kvaerner, and The Wood Group are all there. Nearby Westhill is home to Subsea 7 and Technip.

How to get there
By Road The main road to Aberdeen from the south is the A90. A dual carriage way dotted with speed cameras every few miles. From both the south west and south east, join the A90 at Perth then follow it around the edge of Dundee and on to Aberdeen. Allow 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours from either Glasgow or Edinburgh, depending on traffic. Travelling from Edinburgh, follow the M90 to Perth. If from the Glasgow and the south west, take the A80 and M80 to Stirling, then the M9 and A9 to Perth.
By Air Aberdeen's International Airport, located in Dyce about 5 miles north of the city is served by British Airways, British Midlands, EasyJet, and many foreign carriers, including KLM.
By Rail The station is in the heart of the city, and is served by Scotrail, GNER, and Virgin Trains. Scotrail's service includes The Caledonian Sleeper, which (unsurprisingly) travels overnight and is scheduled to arrive before 8 am.
Use the TrainLine website to or check on line.

What to know
Some of your potential clients (Halliburton, KBR and Kvaerner to name but three) have offices in Dyce, about 5 miles North of the city. Dyce has little to offer in terms of shops, and night life. However some lads prefer to be close to the office, and away from the temptations of the city. What Dyce lacks in amenities, it makes up for in traffic jams.
Thursday night is late night shopping in the city, consequently traffic can be a bit of a headache - especially if you have to negotiate the Haudagain Roundabout.
Rented Accommodation is easy to get - lots of contractors have gone down the Buy To Let route, though a minimum 6 month lease is common. House sharing with other contractors is common. Tuesday is accommodation day in the local daily newspaper, The Press and Journal.
Travellers, as the large number of contractors who work in the town but live in the central belt or further afield are known, are common place in Aberdeen. Most clients appreciate this and allow mid Monday morning starts and early Friday finishing for those who travel from "down south". Make sure you discuss this at your interview.

Must Haves

The first thing you will need is a map showing Aberdeen. An Ordanance Survey Landranger Map No 0038 from Amazon is ideal.
Then you will need a city map. Chose from either of these offered by Amazon, (click the icon for more details).

Must Do's
See the Northern Lights, or to give it its proper name, the Aurora Borealis. Aberdeen is far enough north to catch this spectacle. If you are lucky enough to be there when a show is predicted then try to avoid the city's light pollution and drive out of town for a decent view.
Go on a whisky trail. Take a trip to Speyside, home to some of Scotland's most famous whiskies, visiting some of the distilleries on the way. So pick up your copy of Jim Murray's Whisky Bible and make sure you have a non drinking driver!
Get on yer bike. Aberdeenshire is one of Scotland's top spots for mountain biking. Check out Cycle Grampian for more info. Play a round of Golf. The city is golf mad. And because there is sufficient daylight in the summer to allow you to play until after 10pm, you can still get your hours in.
Plans have recently been announced by US billionaire Donald Trump to build a world class golfing centre in Aberdeenshire.
Watch a football match - head for Pittodrie. Aberdeen FC are arguably Scotland's 3rd biggest side.
Eat a Rowie. A very popular local snack. This flour, yeast, salt and butter bun, often dunked in soup or tea is available from any self respecting bakery in the city.

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