(Aunty Betty’s, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire AB39 2RD)
A waterfront institution, Aunty Betty’s holds a prime spot on the waterfront of the Aberdeenshire town of Stonehaven from where it serves ice-creams, snacks and even dog treats. The ice-cream served spans regular flavours such as Mint Choc Chip and Banana, while customers can also choose wilder flavours such as Irn-Bru and custom-made ice-cream wedding or birthday cakes.
Demand for their sweet creations continues to be high whatever the weather, with a 30-minute queue a not uncommon sight at its doors. Add into the mix friendly and attentive staff - as well as a wall laden with gobstoppers, liquorice and chocolate - and you have a ten year-old ice-cream parlour that looks set to last well into the future.
(Casa di Gelato, 194-196 King Street, Aberdeen AB24 5BH)
Standing on Aberdeen’s busy King Street, Casa di Gelato offers up to 16 flavours of traditional Italian-made ice-cream at any one time. The roster of flavours is continually updated, with some of the more unusual choices (Nutella ice-cream or Jaegerbomb fudge) sitting side-by-side with old favourites. Like Aunty Betty’s, Casa di Gelato offers ice-cream cakes for special occasions, but plays on its heritage by even offering the hire of an old-fashioned ice-cream cart complete with staff for special events.
For three evenings a week, the parlour also doubles as an Italian restaurant, while on-site is a popular cafe that is open daily. As an all-rounder that’s close to the city centre, Casa di Gelato is well worth a try.
(Cones & Candy Ltd, Unit 5 Westhill Shopping Centre, Old Skene Road, Aberdeen AB32 6RL)
One for the suburb-dwellers, C&C is a relatively new addition to Aberdeen’s ice-cream parlour world. Like the others in the list, it also offers a range of snacks, delicious hot drinks and a small seating area to enjoy your confection.
At present, there’s over 36 flavours to choose from. Scottish Tablet is a particularly tasty lure at this place, while Snap Mallow Pop is also worth a try along with Lime and Chocolate if you’re feeling brave. Those with diary intolerances can also be catered for, and there’s a large car park on site to make up for the journey there.