Aberdeen is Scotland's third-largest city and despite its nickname of 'Granite City' and its image amongst non-residents as a gloomy place, Aberdeen is apparently a place of great floral beauty! The city has won the Britain in Bloom competition no fewer than 10 times and also rejoices in the alternative nickname of The Flower of Scotland.

Where other cities might content themselves with a few areas of urban grass, Aberdeen is home to a number of florally-enhanced parks including the notable Winter Gardens and the Union Terrace Gardens. Aberdeen's granite-built historic buildings are another draw for visitors - especially St. Machar's Cathedral, which was completed in the early 16th century.

Home to two universities (University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University), Aberdeen is also one of the main hubs of the oil industry in Europe. The city's port is well-located for access to the North Sea and provides extensive support services for ships servicing the North Sea oil rigs. The nearby Aberdeen Airport at Dyce has also benefited from the oil boom and provides facilities for extensive helicopter services to the North Sea oil platforms.

Fishing is still carried out on a fairly limited scale from Aberdeen's harbour and Aberdeen itself is rated the third-best shopping location in Scotland and has a thriving cultural scene enjoyed by residents and visitors alike - as are Aberdeen's golden, sandy beaches and seaside location.

As in any industrial city, van hire in Aberdeen is never a problem and a wide range of vans are available to rent:

• Medium / short wheelbase vans - e.g. Ford Transit, Vauxhall Vivaro, Renault Trafic, Volkswagen Transporter
• Small vans - e.g. Vauxhall Combo, Ford Transit Connect, VW Caddy
• Large / long wheelbase vans - e.g. Mercedes Sprinter XLWB, Ford Transit LWB, Renault Master, LDV Maxus
• Luton vans & box vans (3.5 tonne / 3.5t).