Aberdeen (Scottish Gaelic: Obar Dheathain) is Scotland's third largest city, with a population of about 202,000. Aberdeen is the county town of Aberdeenshire, and the chief seaport in the north-east of Scotland.
Aberdeen is commonly referred to variously as "the Granite City", on account of the grey, occasionally sparkling building stone used in older buildings in the city; and the "Flower of Scotland", Aberdeen long having been famous for outstanding parks, gardens and floral displays. These days, Aberdeen also boasts the title of Oil Capital of Europe thanks to the supply of crude oil in the North Sea, and stands on a bay of the North Sea, between the mouths of the rivers Don and Dee.
Understand
Aberdeen is a relatively small city. It has a harbour and pleasant beach. It has a distinct identity from other Scottish cities, especially the two largest in the Central Belt. It has some of the oldest university buildings in Europe (King's College was founded in 1495), and its citizens were fond of boasting in centuries gone by that Aberdeen had as many universities (Marischal and King's) as all of England (Oxford and Cambridge). After the discovery of oil in the North Sea, the city expanded greatly and several new suburbs were formed. The city has seen continued growth ever since, and a range of new developments are planned over the next few years. The district of Bridge of Don has become, in just thirty years, one of the largest suburbs in Europe, and is one of many areas of the city which retain the feel of a village in parts. Perhaps the best examples of this are the line of suburbs stretching towards Royal Deeside, including Cults and Peterculter.
Talk
The local dialect is Doric, very different from Lowland Scots or Gaelic. At first hearing it (and the distinctive accent) is utterly impenetrable, even to other Scots. It has its origins in the farming communities nearby and is not as spoken as widely as it used to be. However, there is still a good chance you will encounter the dialect on your travels, so here are a few commonly used words with translations:
Get in
By plane
Dyce Airport is situated 7 miles from the city centre. The airport offers a wide range of domestic and international flights. Buses run from the airport to the city centre throughout the day. The nearest railway station is Dyce, and connects to stations in Aberdeen and Inverness. Taxis are available outside the terminal and will cost around £20 to Aberdeen City Centre.
There are more than four flights a day on routes to London, Paris and Amsterdam. Major airlines serving Aberdeen are British Airways, KLM, AirFrance, SAS Scandinavian and BMI.
The list of destinations can be found on the airports website
Aberdeen Station is located right in the middle of town, next to the Harbour and Bus Station, slightly down from Union Street, the main thoroughfare. Services come from the South via Perth and the North to Elgin, Inverness and similar places.
The three main operators serving Aberdeen are:
By boat
Ferries operated by NorthLink arrive at Aberdeen harbour from Lerwick and Kirkwall.
By car
Aberdeen lies halfway along the long A90 arterial road that hugs the eastern, North Sea coast of Scotland between Dundee and Peterhead. With relative ease this permits access by car from points across Britain.
From Aberdeen, the A96 runs roughly north-west over the Gordon Highlands to Elgin and Inverness.
Get around
Pedestrian Maps
There are quite a few of these located around the city centre, mainly in points of interest. They are very useful for navigating the rather random layout of the city centre and also give details of where to go to catch a particular bus.
By Train
Aberdeen does not have a particularly good rail service to the local outlying areas, but it does exist (there's talk of a Crossrail but that's years off). The station is located on Guild Street next to the bus station (just south of Union Street). The local services run to:
Dyce - On the north west of the city along the Inverness line. This is an option for travelling to the airport, but you have to catch a taxi (these are generally easily available but a bit pricey). Believe it or not, but the cheap day return (£2.60) is slightly cheaper than catching the bus (£2.70 for a day pass). This is certainly a preferable way to travel in rush hour too as the journey time is 10 minutes as opposed to the hour+ it takes on the bus. There are plenty of trains, though the frequency is quite scattered. The station is located just off the main street.
Inverurie - The next stop up the line from Dyce. Trains are less frequent than to Dyce, but the service has benefitted recently from the addition of some extra journeys. The station is located a short walk from the town centre.
Portlethen - The first stop south on the Dundee/Glasgow/Edinburgh line. There are extremely few services stopping here outwith rush hour. The station is located on the east of the town on the road to the old village. A walk from here to the main shopping area will take you around 10-15 minutes, there are buses that run every 20 minutes just outside the station if you need to use them.
Stonehaven - The next stop down from Portlethen. Trains are fairly frequent (at least once an hour). Buses to Stonehaven centre depart from the hotel across from the station, or you can walk. (takes 10-20 minutes depending on your speed)
By Bus
Aberdeen has a fairly decent bus network, though it is expensive to use (there are no multi-operator tickets either). The city is served by 2 operators First and Stagecoach . On the whole, buses are modern and fairly comfortable with a few dinosaurs still doing the rounds (mainly on the number 6). If you are connecting buses, it should be noted that you'll probably have to change in the city centre as that's where the majority of services run through/terminate.
First's services are entirely within the city boundary, although they do serve the suburbs of Dyce, Cults & Culter and Kingswells. The network "branded as The Overground" is based on a colour coded system with all the main lines having a colour while the "less important" lines are left grey on the map, which is in the style of that of the London Underground. This makes it fairly easy to find your way around. Services begin around 5am and end close to midnight with night services run at weekends (currently run at a flat fare of £2.20 single).
Fares are based on a fare-stage system and cost from 70p for a short journey to £1.60 for a longer one. Day passes are available for £3 (£2.70 after 9am). Show a valid student ID for a discount on the day pass (£2).
First also run the popular (and rightly so) Park & Ride from Kingswells (just off A944) and Bridge of Don (off A90). The Bridge of Don service runs from the Exhibition and Conference Centre, which is easy to spot on the main northbound road. Parking is free, and the service costs £1.80 (per person) for a return journey to anywhere along the route. Up to two under 16's go free when accompanied. Day passes are available for purchase if you are planning to change buses.
Stagecoach run the services to outwith the city boundary. Locations closer to Aberdeen generally have more frequent services (for example, a 15 minute frequency to the suburb of Westhill) than those further out. In addition to this, they run 1 service wholly within the city boundary (the 59). For single fares, Stagecoach are generally a cheaper option within the city than First, but they lack the frequency and network of First. Fares are based on destination, however there is a day pass called the Explorer which, for £11, allows you unlimited use of the entire Stagecoach network in the area (as far out as Montrose or Peterhead for example).
By Taxi
Taxis are widely available from a number of ranks dotted around the city centre. The main ranks are located on Back Wynd, Market Street and the railway station. There are more located further up Union Street, they're easy enough to spot. Taxis can be difficult to come by at night due to a shortage of them (ranks are patrolled by marshals at night) and can actually be difficult to flag down on the street as many drivers do not give any indication if they're available for hire. Fares aren't too expensive in comparison with other areas of the UK, though they're still expensive enough.
By Bicycle
Due to the many narrow roads and inadequate lane provisions, this can be rather treacherous at times. Cycle lanes are appearing as are cycle "boxes" at traffic lights so the situation is getting better for those who cycle. It's getting easier to park a cycle too, the council are beginning to provide loops for chaining bikes to within the city centre streets and within the municipal multi-storey car parks.
It is possible to cycle from Aberdeen city centre to Peterculter along the Old Deeside Railway line. The line begins just outside Duthie Park and passes through Garthdee, Cults, Bieldside and Milltimber before ending at Station Road. It is mostly paved with very few breaks where it is necessary to cross the road. It is very scenic and relaxing, and is also used by people walking dogs, riding horses, other cyclists, and other people just enjoying a stroll so being courteous is a must. There are signs placed along the line with bits of history about the line and how it came to be.
See
Do
The nearest Aberdeen has to a Bohemian Quarter is centred around Belmont Street, halfway down Union St. It has many nice bars, live music venues, a couple of second-hand book stores and an arthouse cinema, named The Belmont.
The Belmont Picturehouse on Belmont Street is also host to the City of Joy, the international church in the international cinema. A vibrant place on sundays, it is worth a look if you want to guage the religious temperature of the City. ?
Sport
If you feel like a workout, a massage or a fun-filled swim, the Beach Leisure Centre on the Beach Promenade is worth a visit. Access to the gymnasium is £4.40 (over 18's only). The swimming pool offers a wide range of attractions, including water slides, rapids and waves, and is suitable for the whole family. These are the admission prices:
If spectating is more your thing, why not go and watch Aberdeen's home grown, Scottish Premier League football (soccer) team Aberdeen Football Club (or "The Dons") at work at their home ground of Pittodrie ?
Theatre/Concerts
If you want to go and see a show or a concert, there are four main venues in Aberdeen, each a distinct and atmospheric setting for any kind of performance:
Buy
The main street in Aberdeen is Union Street. It is wide and around a mile long with beautiful buildings on each side. It appears a bit worn and is mainly filled with standard British high street shops. However it is worth a walk. Local independents include Nova on Chapel Street and Esslemont and Mackintosh beside the Castle Gate.
Aberdeen has a number of covered central shopping centers including the Bon-Accord Centre (general high street shops), St. Nicholas Centre (general high street shops), The Academy (boutique shops) and the Trinity Centre (general high street shops).
The city has all the department stores and high street shops you would expect in any modern British urban area, clustered around the centres above and along the mile-long Union Street. The table below is a guide on where to find some of the major shops, and what they specialise in.
When shopping, don't be limited to the malls and chain stores! Aberdeen has a vast collection of small, tucked-away shops which can provide everything from Bohemian dressware to Indian furniture. If you are adventurous enough then you may uncover a hidden wonder.
Eat
Aberdeen has hundreds of restaurants, catering for every taste, to choose from. As with shops, there are well-known, easy to spot places, and out of the way ones. However, we'll leave the exploring up to you. Here is a list of more popular haunts in the central area, sorted by "cuisine":
If you want a lunchtime soup or sandwich try the Beautiful Mountain or Books and Beans on Belmont Street. Both are popular because of their good soup, sandwiches and atmosphere.
Drink
Like any Scottish city Aberdeen has its fair share of bars and nightclubs here are hundreds of licenced premises in the city to choose from that cater for every taste. Due to the large student population there are always student deals around to find if you want them, that often extend to everyone and not just those with student cards.
The classiest and most approachable starting point for a night out is Belmont Street. Here you can find three nightclubs (the Priory, Exodus and Revolutions) all of which are respectable. There are a number of bars, again all respectable. Slains Castle is very popular and does a good range of cocktails. Set in an old church it has a Gothic feel and is normally quite busy. Across the road is Siberia, the Vodka Bar and Revolutions (a nightclub opens upstairs about 11pm). These are all open for lunches where they all serve meals for around £6 that are well made. They are normally quite at lunchtime and have a good atmosphere.
Sleep
Learn
Get out
Aberdeen is a good location to stay if you want to see castles, play golf or go on a distillery trail. Within 30 miles you can visit Crathes, Drum and Dunnoter Castles.
The Malt Whiskey Trail route is about 30 miles north and involves a number of distilleries including the Glenfiddich and Glen Grant tours.
If you want to play golf, the Royal Aberdeen golf course was founded in 1790 and is the sixth oldest in the world and the Royal Deeside course in the River Dee's valley are both excellent.
Aberdeen (IPA: ; Obar Dheathain) is Scotland's third largest city with a population of 202,370. Since the discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s, other nicknames have been the Oil Capital of Europe or the Energy Capital of Europe.
The area around Aberdeen has had human settlement for at least 8,000 years, when small villages lay around the mouths of the River Dee and River Don.
In 1319, it received Royal Burgh status from Robert the Bruce, transforming the city economically. The city's two universities, University of Aberdeen, founded in 1495, and the Robert Gordon University, which was awarded university status in 1992, make Aberdeen the educational centre of the north-east. The traditional industries were fishing, paper-making, shipbuilding and textiles, but they have been overtaken by the oil industry and Aberdeen's seaport. Aberdeen Heliport is the busiest commercial heliport in the world. and the seaport is the largest in the northeast of Scotland.
Aberdeen has won the Britain in Bloom competition ten times,
During the Wars of Scottish Independence, Aberdeen was under English rule, so Robert the Bruce laid siege to Aberdeen Castle before destroying it in 1308 followed by the massacring of the English garrison and the retaking of Aberdeen for the townspeople. The city was burned by Edward III of England in 1336, but was rebuilt and extended, and called New Aberdeen. The city was strongly fortified to prevent attacks by neighbouring lords, but the gates were removed by 1770. During the Wars of the Three Kingdoms of 1644-1647 the city was impartially plundered by both sides. In 1644, it was taken and ransacked by Royalist troops after the Battle of Aberdeen. A quarter of the population died in 1647 from an outbreak of bubonic plague.
In the 18th century, a new Town Hall was built and the first social services appeared with the Infirmary at Woolmanhill in 1742 and the Lunatic Asylum in 1779. The council began major road improvements at the end of the century with the main thoroughfares of George Street, King Street and Union Street all completed at the start of the next century.
A century later, the increasing economic importance of Aberdeen and the development of the shipbuilding and fishing industries led to the existing harbour with Victoria Dock, the South Breakwater, and the extension to the North Pier. The expensive infrastructure program had repercussions, and in 1817 the city was bankrupt. However, a recovery was made in the general prosperity which followed the Napoleonic wars. Gas street lighting arrived in 1824 and an enhanced water supply appeared in 1830 when water was pumped from the Dee to a reservoir in Union Place. An underground sewer system replaced open sewers in 1865.
Gaelic scholars believe the name came from the prefix Aber- and da-aevi (variation;Da-abhuin, Da-awin) - which means "the mouth of two rivers". In Gaelic the name is Obar Dheathain (variation; Obairreadhain) and in Latin, the Romans referred to it as Devana. Mediaeval (or ecclesiastical) Latin has it as Aberdonia.
Heraldry
Symbols of the city typically show three castles, such as in the case of the flag and coat of arms. The image has been around since the time of Robert the Bruce and represents the buildings that stood on the three hills of Aberdeen; Aberdeen Castle on Castle Hill (today's castlegate); an unknown building on Windmill Hill and a church on St. Catherine's Hill (now levelled).
Bon Accord, is the motto of the city and is French literally for "Good Agreement". Legend tells that its use dates from the 14th century password used by Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence, when he and his men laid siege to Aberdeen Castle before destroying it in 1308.
Architecture
Union Street, built of granite in 1801-05, runs from Castle Street for nearly a mile (1.5 km), is 70 feet (21 m) wide, and originally contained the principal shops and most public buildings. Part of the street crosses the Denburn ravine (utilised for the line of the Great North of Scotland Railway) by Union Bridge, a granite arch of 132 feet (40 m) span, with portions of the older town still fringing the gorge, 50 feet (15 m) below the level of Union Street.
The Town House, built in Franco-Scottish Gothic style, is at the east end of Union Street. Containing the great hall, with an open timber ceiling and oak-panel walls, the Sheriff Court House and the Town and County Hall contains portraits of various Lord Provosts and distinguished citizens. On the south-western corner is the 210 foot (64 m) grand tower high enough to give a view of the city and surrounding country. Adjoining the Town House is the old North of Scotland Bank building, in Greek Revival style.
Other notable buildings on the street are the Town and County Bank, the Music Hall, the Trinity Hall of the incorporated trades (1398-1527, now a shopping centre), the Palace Hotel, and the former office of the Northern Assurance Company. Many of the city's most renowned buildings were designed by local architect Archibald Simpson. Just off Union Street, Marischal College is the second largest granite building in the world. Its present frontage was inaugurated by King Edward VII in 1906, but the central parts by Archibald Simpson are considerably older.
The Mercat Cross, built in 1686 by John Montgomery, is an open-arched structure, 21 feet (6 m) in diameter and 18 feet (5 m) high with a large hexagonal base from the centre of which rises a shaft with a Corinthian capital, on which is the royal unicorn. The base is highly decorated, including medallions illustrating Scottish monarchs from James I to James VII. and several former churches in the city have been converted into bars and restaurants.
There is also an Islamic Mosque in Old Aberdeen and a small informal Jewish congregation. There is no formal Buddhist or Hindu building. The University of Aberdeen has a small Bahá'í society.
In the Middle Ages, the Kirk of St Nicholas was the only burgh kirk and one of Scotland's largest parish churches. Like a number of other Scottish kirks, it was subdivided after the Reformation, in this case into the East and West churches. At this time, the city also was home to houses of the Carmelites (Whitefriars) and Franciscans Greyfriars), the latter or which surviving in modified form as the chapel of Marischal College as late as the early 20th Century.
St Machar's Cathedral was formed twenty years after David I (1124-53) transferred the pre-Reformation Diocese from Mortlach in Banffshire to Old Aberdeen in 1137. With the exception of the episcopate of William Elphinstone (1484-1511), building progressed slowly. Gavin Dunbar, who followed him in 1518, completed the structure by adding the two western spires and the southern transept.
St. Mary's Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Gothic style, erected in 1859.
St. Andrew's Cathedral is the Scottish Episcopal Cathedral, constructed in 1817 as Archibald Simpson's first commission. It is notable for having consecrated the first bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.
Economy
Traditionally, Aberdeen was home to fishing, textile mills, ship building and paper making. These industries have all but gone now and have been replaced. High technology developments in the electronics design and development industry, research in agriculture and fishing and of course the oil industry, which has been largely responsible for Aberdeen's economic boom in the last three decades, are now major parts of Aberdeen's economy.
Until the 1970s, most of Aberdeen's leading industries dated from the 18th Century; mainly these were textiles, foundry work, shipbuilding and paper-making &mdash, the oldest industry in the city, with paper having been first made there in 1694. Paper-making has reduced in importance since the closures of Donside Paper Mill in 2001 and the Davidson Mill in 2005 leaving the Stoneywood Paper Mill with a workforce of approximately 500. Textile production ended in 2004 when Richards of Aberdeen closed.
Grey granite was quarried at Rubislaw quarry for more than 300 years, and used for paving setts, kerb and building stones, and monumental and other ornamental pieces. Aberdeen granite was used to build the terraces of the Houses of Parliament and Waterloo Bridge in London. Quarrying finally ceased in 1971.
Fishing was once the predominant industry, but was surpassed by deep-sea fisheries, which derived a great impetus from improved technologies throughout the 20th Century. Catches have fallen due to overfishing and the use of the harbour by oil support vessels, and so although still an important fishing port it is now eclipsed by the more northerly ports of Peterhead and Fraserburgh. The Fisheries Research Services is based in Aberdeen, including its headquarters, and a marine research lab in Torry.
Aberdeen is well regarded for the agricultural and soil research that takes place at The Macaulay Institute, which has close links to the city's two universities. The Rowett Research Institute is a world renowned research centre for studies into food and nutrition located in Aberdeen. It has produced three Nobel laureates and there is a high concentration of life scientists working in the city.
There is also a dynamic and fast growing electronics design and development industry.
With the discovery of significant oil deposits in the North Sea during the late 20th Century, Aberdeen became the centre of Europe's petroleum industry. With the second largest heliport in the world and an important service ship harbour port serving oil rigs off-shore, Aberdeen is often called the Oil Capital of Europe.
Local political attempts have been made to turn Aberdeen's reputation as the Oil Capital of Europe into the Energy Capital of Europe as oil supplies may start to dwindle in coming years, and there is considerable interest in the development of new energy sources; technology transfer from oil to other industries is anticipated.
Aberdeen has managed to avoid the dilapidation of city centres as often seen in the late 20th century, with only supermarkets and "warehouse" style stores in the outlying areas of the city. The city ranks fourth in Scotland for shopping. The centre has remained relatively prosperous, although Union Street has more than its fair share of discount stores and empty units. The traditional shopping streets are Union Street and George Street which are now backed up by inner-city shopping centres, notably the Bon Accord-St Nicholas Centre and the The Mall Trinity.
Education
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Universities and colleges
Aberdeen has two universities, the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University. Aberdeen has a higher student rate than the national average of 11.5% compared to 7% nationally.
The University of Aberdeen began life as King's College, Aberdeen, which was founded in 1495 by William Elphinstone (1431-1514), Bishop of Aberdeen and Chancellor of Scotland. Marischal College, a separate institution, was founded in "New" Aberdeen by George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal of Scotland in 1593. These institutions were amalgamated to form the present University of Aberdeen in 1860. The university is the fifth oldest in the English speaking world.
Robert Gordon's College (originally Robert Gordon's Hospital) was founded in 1729 by the merchant Robert Gordon, grandson of the map maker Robert Gordon of Straloch, and was further endowed in 1816 by Alexander Simpson of Collyhill. Originally devoted to the instruction and maintenance of the sons of poor burgesses of guild and trade in the city, it was reorganised in 1881 as a day and night school for secondary and technical education. In 1903, the vocational education component of the college was designated a Central Institution and was renamed as the Robert Gordon Institute of Technology in 1965. In 1992, university status was gained and it became the Robert Gordon University.
Aberdeen is also home to two artistic schools: Gray's School of Art, founded in 1886, which is one of the oldest established colleges of art in the UK, and is now incorporated into Robert Gordon University; and The Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and The Built Environment, which is situated on the Garthdee Campus of the Robert Gordon University, next to Gray's School of Art.
Aberdeen College has several campuses in the city and offers a wide variety of part-time and full-time courses leading to several different qualifications. It is the largest further education institution in Scotland.
Schools
There are currently 12 secondary schools and 54 primary schools which are run by the city council. The most notable are Cults Academy, Oldmachar Academy and Aberdeen Grammar School (founded in 1263) which were all rated in the top 50 Scottish secondary schools league tables published by The Times in 2005.
There are a number of private schools in Aberdeen; Albyn School for Girls (co-educational as of 2005), St Margaret's School for Girls, the Hamilton School (a Montessori school), Robert Gordon's College, the Total French School (for French oil industry families), the International School of Aberdeen and a Waldorf/Steiner School.
Geography
Climate
The mean temperature is 8 °C (47 °F) and it varies between an average low of 5 °C (41 °F) and 11 °C (52 °F). In summer (June - August) the average high is 16 °C (63 °F) and average low 9 °C (49 °F). In winter (December - February) the average high is 6 °C (43 °F) and average low 0 °C (33 °F).
The average yearly precipitation is 753 millimetres (29.7 in), with 64 millimetres (2.5 in) in summer (June - August) and 62 millimetres (2.5 in) in winter (December - February). The wettest months are October and November.
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