At Spectra, we are committed to Environmental Sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint. For a festival like ours, the most effective way to do this is to encourage the use of public transport and active travel to reach the event wherever possible. Being located in Aberdeen city centre, Spectra is easily accessible for those walking from locations close to the centre including Aberdeen train station, Aberdeen bus station and Union Street.
Accessible parking during the festival hours holders is available for blue badge holders at Queen Street, Littlejohn Street and Blackfriars Street. This is on a first come first served basis.
Travel by Bus
There is a wide network of buses to get you to and from stations. See the First Aberdeen and Stagecoach websites for more detailed information.
This year we teamed up with First Aberdeen to provide £10,000 of free tickets to those attending SPECTRA. Sign up to our Mailing List before Monday 3rd February to be in with a chance to get a free two-trip ticket.
But you can still take advantage of the Two-trip ticket – the best value ticket to light up your night at just £4.90. With the Two-trip ticket, you can travel to SPECTRA and back again. The Two-trip ticket is available to purchase directly on the free First Bus App or on board your bus with the Tap On, Tap Off readers.
The majority of busses that serve the Aberdeen City Network pass through Union Street and from Union Street it is only a short walk to the event.
If you are coming from Aberdeenshire or further afield it is likely your bus will terminate in the Aberdeen Bus Station Located in Union Square. From here it is a 10 minute walk to the event. The event can be reached by walking from the bus station north up Market Street and along Broad Street to Mariscal Square or, alternatively, by crossing the Green and using the Back Wynd Steps to access Union Street and Union Terrace Gardens. Wayfinding totems can be found throughout the city centre and at the Union Square entrance.
Travel by Train
There are frequent train services linking Aberdeen with Huntly, Insch, Inverurie, Dyce, Portlethen, Stonehaven and Laurencekirk. Why not leave your car behind, beat congestion and give the train a go? Public transport is a realistic alternative, whether travelling from Aberdeenshire, or journeys further afield from Inverness, Edinburgh, Glasgow or London.
This is a guide to Aberdeen city and shire train stations download for more information on each train station as well as train times. A Guide to Train Station and Services. For more information on planning your journey please visit the ScotRail website.
The event can be reached by walking from the train station north up Market Street and along Broad Street to Mariscal Square or, alternatively, by crossing the Green and using the Back Wynd Steps to access Union Street and Union Terrace Gardens. Wayfinding totems can be found throughout the city centre and at the Union Square entrance.
Travel by Bike
If you plan to travel by bike to Spectra, dedicated Spectra cycle parking has been established on Queen Street in front of the Town House. This area is covered and overlooked by CCTV. We expect large numbers to attend the event so any cycling through or around the event is strictly prohibited. We ask that you dismount and safely lock your bike in the designated parking are before attending the event.
The Aberdeen Cycle Map shows facilities such as cycle lanes, cycle shops, places to lock bikes, recommended quiet routes and recreational routes around the city. The Aberdeen Cycle Map is free to download or print at Aberdeen Cycling Maps.
Information on the locations of existing cycle parking in the city centre is available via Cycle Parking Web Mapping Application (arcgis.com).
Cycle Safety
Tips for cycling safely and guidance on using shared paths can be found on the Cycling section of the Aberdeen City Council Website.
Travel by Car
We encourage visitors to use public transport where possible but understand there are occasions when car travel is unavoidable. There are a number of car parks located close to the city centre and drivers can plan their journey in advance using the Aberdeen City Council Find A Car Park page. Please also be aware that there are Low Emission Zones and Bus Gates in operation throughout the city centre and a number of road closures to facilitate Spectra.
There have been changes in recent years to city centre roads however access continues to car parks and motorists can still get to destinations, just by using a different route than they’re perhaps used to.
All city centre car parks can be accessed without going through the city centre bus gates. In you’re unsure, here’s some handy videos of how to get to car parks avoiding the city centre bus gates:-
- King Street to Market Street passing Union Square
- Queen Elizabeth Bridge Wapping Street drive to Guild Street passing the Trinity Centre car park
- Westburn Rd to Bon Accord Shopping centre car park passing Gallowgate car park
For the low emission zone, similar to those in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee, you can check if your vehicle is compliant online. Drivers of non-compliant vehicles can still access the city centre by using 10 out of the 14 city centre car parks – College Street, Union Square, Trinity Centre, Virginia Street, Frederick Street, West North Street, Gallowgate, Loch Street, Harriet Street and Denburn.
Travel by Airplane
Where possible, we would encourage visitors to arrive by rail or bus but those travelling from farther afield may need to fly to Aberdeen to enjoy Spectra and possibly explore more around Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Traveling from the Airport to the City Centre
By Bus
First Aberdeen and Stagecoach Bluebird both run buses between the airport and city centre. The timetabled journey is about 30 minutes in normal traffic. Fewer buses run at weekends and at night, so please check the timetables beforehand. Please visit the Aberdeen Airport website for more detailed information on airport bus services.
By Train
The nearest rail station, Dyce, is a short taxi ride from the airport. Trains from Dyce reach Aberdeen in about ten minutes. To plan our journey please visit the ScotRail website.
Sustainable Travel Initiatives In Aberdeen
Want more information about walking, cycling, public transport and other sustainable travel options in Aberdeen? The information below will tell you what’s available and how to get involved.
Walking Trails & Health Walks
A range of fun walking trails exist to help locals and visitors discover places full of history, heritage, and beautiful green spaces. The family-friendly guides and maps, produced by Aberdeen City Council with help from community groups, are designed to encourage people to walk around our beautiful and historic city and discover – or rediscover – different aspects of the city.
Follow the maps to discover historical and natural gems around the city and you can also cycle on many of the trails. There are 27 to choose from with a range of lengths and topics. The walking Guides are free to download or print at Aberdeen Walking Trails
If you are interested in becoming a more regular walker there are weekly health walks held in various location in the city. The walks are organised by Sport Aberdeen and aim to encourage more active lifestyles through walking. Each walk has its own character but all are welcoming of new walkers and very sociable. The free walks usually last around one hour and often finish with a blether and a cup of tea. More Information can be found on the Health Walk Aberdeen website.
Love to Ride
Love to Ride is a platform that helps you track your bike miles, see your carbon savings, set goals, find help and support to ride more often and have fun while doing it . Love to Ride run quarterly events to encourage, incentivise and reward riding with a range of prizes up for grabs. Whether you are a beginner, a regular, or somewhere in between Love to Ride has something for you with information guides tailored to your ability and encouragement for all levels. You can sign up to Aberdeen City and Shire’s Love to Ride platform for free at Love to Ride Abz. For those who prefer an app, the Love to Ride app is now available via Google Play and the App Store.
Hop on your bikes, join a community, learn new bike skills, and win prizes!
IBike
Thanks to grant funding, Aberdeen City Council has been able to bring I Bike to the city. Run by Sustrans, I Bike aims to create a culture of walking, cycling and scooting. Within Aberdeen, two IBike officers work in Schools and the wider community to promote the benefits of active travel. IBike Schools offers a programme of classroom and outdoor sessions to encourage healthy travel choices in education. This includes activities like cycle training, bike maintenance and led walks. IBike Communities works with adults and carers linked to IBike schools and in the wider community to provide cycling support, training, advice and practical skills sessions to enable active travel. Together the schemes are working to enable active, happier and healthier communities. For more information, and to find out about how you could become a volunteer, visit the Ibike communities website: I Bike Communities Aberdeen
Getabout
For further information on all things active and sustainable travel in Aberdeen please visit the Getabout website.
Getabout is a joint project featuring several organisations that are striving to create a sustainable transport system and greater transport choices in Aberdeen City and Shire.
The partnership comprises of Nestrans (North East of Scotland Regional Transport Partnership), Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils, NHS Grampian, University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University, North East Scotland College, Energy Saving Trust and the James Hutton Institute.
Working together, the partners want to promote healthy and sustainable transport choices for everybody travelling within the region and beyond. All partners take steps to make active and sustainable forms of transport more accessible for their staff, their users and everybody in the North-east.
By enabling the public to consider options like car-sharing, taking the bus or train, cycling or walking for some of their trips, we can reduce congestion and improve air quality on the roads and everybody can enjoy the benefits.