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Nigg Bay, UK

Stay in Aberdeen: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Aberdeen

  • Aberdeen Surf spot · 1.1 km from Aberdeen

Watch this spot We email you when Nigg Bay is worth the trip.

Bay of Nigg - panoramio
Nigg Bay. Photo: Alan Jamieson, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Nigg Bay

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces E (77°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (257°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 25). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 7°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 14°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January and December, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Aberdeen, 3.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 14 h 55 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to EDI, direct.

    See flights ORD → EDI · Skyscanner from about £375 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 3 h from the airport to Nigg Bay.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in AberdeenAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Aberdeen · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Aberdeen · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Nigg Bay on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct71 ft4 smushy6kJ11°C
Mon 19Oct92 ft5 smushy20kJ13°C
Tue 20Oct33 ft6 smushy78kJ12°C
Wed 21Oct227 ft6 smushy364kJ12°C
Thu 22Oct133 ft6 smushy37kJ11°C
Fri 23Oct31 ft4 smushy3kJ11°C
Sat 24Oct71 ft4 smushy6kJ9°C
Sun 25Oct214 ft6 smushy110kJ10°C
Mon 26Oct42 ft6 smushy14kJ11°C
Tue 27Oct145 ft5 smushy127kJ11°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to EDI, then 3h by road. About 14h 55 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Aberdeen

    Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 8 ft at 6 s, wind 11 kn (20 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 3 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to EDI, then 3h by road. About 14h 55 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Aberdeen each day: Aberdeen, Nigg Bay.

The trip from Aberdeen, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,105–£2,055 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to EDI, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£375–£780
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£250–£420
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£170
Total£1,105–£2,055

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Aberdeen

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.