Aberdeen or Liverpool?

Both cities have long stretches of sand nearby, and neither is a place to swim. Aberdeen's beach begins at the edge of the centre and runs north to the empty dunes of Balmedie. All of it faces a North Sea that stays very cold and is often windy.

Liverpool's sand is spread along the Merseyrail line. Gormley's iron figures stand at Crosby, Formby has dunes topped with pines, and West Kirby's walled marine lake offers a safer paddle than the open shore, where the tide goes out a long way and there is soft mud. Aberdeen's beach is closer to hand, and Liverpool's coast has more to look at.

Aberdeen's food is about its produce more than its restaurants: North Sea fish and shellfish, Aberdeen Angus beef, the salty buttery roll at breakfast and Speyside whisky in every bar. A fish supper in Stonehaven is the meal to plan around, but the choice of restaurants in town is limited.

Liverpool gives a visitor more range. Besides scouse, there are the independent cafés and small international kitchens of Bold Street, the street-food halls of the Baltic Triangle, a long-established Chinatown, and pubs that run from Victorian gin palaces to backstreet locals. Neither city is a gourmet destination, but eating out in Liverpool is more varied.

Aberdeen's appeal is its granite. Marischal College, the Georgian line of Union Street and above all Old Aberdeen, with the crowned tower of King's College and the fortress-like St Machar's, give it a stern beauty. The art gallery, the Maritime Museum and the cottages of Footdee complete a modest but rewarding list.

Liverpool has more to see and stronger museums. The Three Graces at the Pier Head, the Royal Albert Dock warehouses with the maritime and slavery museums, the Walker's Pre-Raphaelites and the two cathedrals linked by Hope Street tell the story of one of the world's great ports. The Beatles turn up throughout.

Aberdeen's evenings are spent in pubs. There are whisky bars and real-ale houses around Belmont Street and a few clubs that fill with students in term time, and the centre goes quiet early midweek.

Liverpool offers nights out on a different scale. At weekends, Concert Square, Seel Street and Wood Street fill with bars, clubs and stag and hen groups. The Baltic Triangle's warehouses lean towards electronic club nights, Lark Lane is calmer, and finishing well after 2am is normal.

Here Aberdeen is far stronger. Within an hour or so up the Dee lie the Cairngorms, Lochnagar and the pine forests around Braemar, with skiing at Glenshee and the Lecht in winter. The coast adds cliff walks, seabird colonies, the Ythan seals and dolphins seen from Torry Battery.

Liverpool's green spaces are gentler: Sefton Park and its palm house, the Mersey promenade, Formby's red squirrels and the Wirral Way to the Dee estuary. Real mountains are about two hours away in North Wales or the Lake District, too far for most visitors to fit in.

Both make good bases for excursions, but the outings are of different kinds. From Aberdeen they are rural: Dunnottar on its sea stack, the tower houses of the Castle Trail, Balmoral and Deeside, the Speyside distilleries and fishing villages such as Pennan. Most of them are far easier by car.

Liverpool's day trips are mostly to towns you can reach by train: Roman Chester, the museums of Manchester, the model village of Port Sunlight and Southport's pier, with Conwy and Llandudno for a longer day by car. Choose Aberdeen for castles and whisky, and Liverpool for historic towns without having to drive.

Aberdeen is safe and calm with children but has little built for them. The Science Centre, the beachfront funfair, the Duthie Park glasshouses and the chance of seeing dolphins are the main draws, and the weather often pushes plans indoors.

Liverpool gives families more. Its free museums have dinosaurs, a planetarium and a play gallery, the waterfront is flat and pedestrian, and children enjoy the Mersey ferry. Chester Zoo and Knowsley Safari Park are within easy reach, and the loud weekend nights in the centre are the main thing to avoid.

Both centres are easy on foot. The real difference shows once you head further out. In Aberdeen the station, Union Street, the harbour and the museums are all close together, and the beach is a stroll away. Old Aberdeen, though, means a longish walk or a bus, and the Deeside hills and castles really call for a car.

Liverpool lets a visitor go further without driving. The docks, the Pier Head, the Ropewalks and both cathedrals lie within about 2km of one another, with only Hope Street up a hill, and Merseyrail's underground loop runs often to Crosby, Formby, Southport and the Wirral. Neither city has a tram or metro, so Sefton Park and Anfield need a bus, just as Old Aberdeen does.

Shopping in Aberdeen is practical: two indoor centres of British chains, Union Street, and a scattering of independent shops around Belmont Street and Rosemount. Knitwear, tartan and whisky are better bought out in Deeside or at the distilleries.

Liverpool ONE is a larger open-air district of chains and department stores. Bold Street adds vintage clothes, records and independent boutiques, and there are makers' studios in the Baltic Triangle. Neither city is a fashion destination, but Liverpool makes for the better afternoon of browsing.

Both cities charge British prices for food and drink, so the difference lies in the extras. Aberdeen's business hotels often have reasonable weekend and summer rates and its museums are free, but hiring the car you need for the hills and castles adds a real cost.

Liverpool's hotels are good value for most of the year, except on big match and concert weekends and during the Grand National. The major museums are free, and with a compact centre and Merseyrail, little goes on transport. Money stretches a little further here.

Most of what plays on an Aberdeen stage has come from elsewhere. His Majesty's Theatre, an Edwardian house on Rosemount Viaduct, takes touring drama, musicals and visits from the national opera and ballet companies. The Music Hall hosts the Scottish orchestras, and folk turns up in pub sessions.

Liverpool produces much of its own. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic plays a full season in its art deco hall, the Everyman and the Playhouse stage their own productions, and live bands play most nights around Mathew Street and the Baltic Triangle, with the Cavern among the venues. For music lovers the gap between the two cities is wide.

Neither city is a place to be pampered. Neither has a bathing culture, and in both wellness means hotel spas. What differs is how you rest: in Aberdeen through the slow pace and a country-house hotel in Deeside, in Liverpool through a walk in Sefton Park or a slow ferry crossing, ideally staying on the Wirral to escape the noisy weekend centre.