Aberdeen or Bristol?

Neither city is anywhere to go for the beach, but they fall short in different ways. Aberdeen at least has real sand on its doorstep, a long stretch of dunes running north from the harbour and emptier strands at Balmedie. These are beaches for a windy walk, not for swimming in a sea that barely passes 13°C.

Bristol has no beach of its own, only the silty, muddy Severn shore. Weston-super-Mare's sands are spoiled by a tide that goes out a very long way. What it has instead are tidal pools such as Clevedon's marine lake, which suit a cold dip rather than a day in the sun.

Bristol is the better place to eat. Grazing is the pleasure here: market stalls in the old city, container kitchens by the harbour and neighbourhood bakeries and roasters along Gloucester Road and North Street. Add West Country cider and the taprooms of its breweries, and an evening of eating and drinking is easily planned.

Aberdeen has the clearer local identity but less choice. North Sea fish, Aberdeen Angus beef and the buttery at breakfast are worth seeking out, and fish and chips in Stonehaven make a fine excuse for a trip down the coast. Beyond those, the restaurants are solid rather than a reason to visit.

Aberdeen's appeal lies more in how the city looks than in what it holds. The silver granite of Marischal College and Union Street sets the tone. The medieval lanes of Old Aberdeen, around King's College and St Machar's Cathedral, are its best walk, and the fishermen's cottages of Footdee are a short stroll from the harbour.

Bristol has more to see, and most of it comes from its seafaring and engineering past. Brunel's SS Great Britain and the Clifton Suspension Bridge stand out, along with the Gothic St Mary Redcliffe and M Shed's frank account of the city's part in the slave trade. Bristol is also where Banksy started out, and the street art of Stokes Croft and Bedminster has grown from the city's own scene. In both cities, two or three days are enough.

This is where the two differ most. Bristol has a real club culture, rooted in the sound-system scene behind trip hop and drum and bass. It takes place in railway arches near Temple Meads and on the water, with scruffier late bars in Stokes Croft, and weekends run late.

Aberdeen's nights centre on Belmont Street: traditional pubs with long whisky lists, a few cocktail bars and clubs that rely on students in term time. It makes a pleasant evening, but outside weekends it is quiet early.

Aberdeen has far grander country on its doorstep. Follow the Dee west and you reach the Cairngorms, Lochnagar and the pine forests of Braemar, with winter skiing at Glenshee and the Lecht. On the coast there are seabird cliffs, the seals of the Ythan estuary and dolphins seen from Torry Battery.

Bristol's outdoors is gentler and closer to the centre. There is climbing in the Avon Gorge, woodland at Leigh Woods and Ashton Court, and the railway path to Bath for cyclists. The Mendips and Cheddar Gorge are under an hour away. Real upland walking means a two-hour drive to the Brecon Beacons or Exmoor.

Bristol is the easier base for day trips, largely because so much is reachable by train. Bath is a quarter of an hour away and Cardiff under an hour. Wells, Glastonbury, the southern Cotswolds, Stonehenge and Avebury fill further days.

Aberdeen's day trips are rewarding but more spread out and more dependent on a car. The cliff-top ruin of Dunnottar, the Castle Trail through Crathes, Craigievar and Fyvie, Balmoral and the Speyside distilleries make a strong castle-and-whisky circuit for anyone driving.

Bristol has more for children, and most of it sits together on the harbourside. The SS Great Britain, the hands-on science centre with its planetarium and the aquarium are all there, linked by little ferries. The wildlife park and the Ashton Court deer add outdoor days, though the steep hills are hard work with a pushchair.

Aberdeen is calm and safe but has fewer attractions built for young visitors. The Science Centre, the seaside funfair on the esplanade and the Duthie Park glasshouses cover a wet day. Watching for dolphins at the harbour mouth is the outing children tend to remember.

There is little to choose between them. Both have a compact walkable centre, a central station and buses rather than a metro or tram. The difference lies in the ground. Aberdeen's centre is flat, with the beach and Old Aberdeen an easy walk away. Bristol's core is threaded by harbour ferries, but the climb to Clifton is steep and buses get stuck in traffic.

Outside town, Bristol's trains reach more of what a visitor wants. From Aberdeen, Deeside, the castles and the distilleries really call for a car.

Bristol offers more of interest. Beyond the chain stores of Cabot Circus and Broadmead, Gloucester Road has a long run of independent record shops, delis and vintage clothing. Park Street and the Georgian arcades of Clifton Village add boutiques and galleries.

Aberdeen's shopping is mostly two central malls and Union Street, with a few independents around Belmont Street and Rosemount. Its real souvenirs are knitwear, tartan and whisky, and these are better bought in the Deeside villages or at the distilleries.

Neither is cheap, but Aberdeen is slightly easier on the budget. Its supply of business hotels often makes rooms reasonable at weekends and in summer. The catch is that seeing the countryside usually means paying for a hire car.

Bristol hotels tend to climb at weekends, just when most visitors come, and eating out costs the same as anywhere in England. The market stalls, the free museums and a centre you can explore on foot help to balance that.

Bristol has the richer stage, and more of it is its own work. The Bristol Old Vic produces plays in its Georgian auditorium, the Tobacco Factory stages fringe theatre and Shakespeare, and small venues in Stokes Croft and Old Market have bands, jazz and electronic acts most nights.

Aberdeen depends more on visiting companies. His Majesty's Theatre takes touring drama and visits from the national opera and ballet, and the Music Hall hosts the Scottish orchestras. Folk sessions in pubs give it a traditional flavour that Bristol lacks.

Bristol is the better place to unwind, mainly thanks to its neighbour. Bath's thermal spa, with its rooftop pool fed by natural hot springs, is a quarter of an hour away by train, and Clifton's heated Victorian lido is a quiet half day closer to home.

Aberdeen has only hotel spas and the country-house hotels of Deeside. Its rest comes from the slow pace and the empty countryside close by, not from any place built for relaxing.