Aberdeen receivedroyal burgh status fromDavid I of Scotland (1124–1153),[6] which transformed the city economically. The traditional industries of fishing, paper-making, shipbuilding, and textiles have been overtaken by theoil industry and Aberdeen's seaport. Aberdeen Heliport is one of the busiest commercialheliports in the world,[7] and the seaport is the largest in the north-east part of Scotland.[8] Auniversity town, the city is known for theUniversity of Aberdeen, founded in 1495 as the fifth oldest university in the English-speaking world and located inOld Aberdeen.
During the mid-18th to mid-20th centuries, Aberdeen's buildings incorporated locally quarried greygranite, which may sparkle like silver because of its highmica content.[9] Since the discovery ofNorth Sea oil in 1969, Aberdeen has been known as the offshore oil capital of Europe.[10] Based upon the discovery of prehistoric villages around the mouths of the riversDee andDon, the area around Aberdeen is thought to have been settled for at least 6,000 years.[11]
The name given to Aberdeen translates as 'mouth of the river Don', and is recorded as Aberdon in 1172 and Aberden inc. 1180. The first element of the name is thePictish wordaber 'river mouth'. The second element is from the Celtic river goddessDevona.[12]
Aberdeen is usually described as within the historicalPictish territory and became Gaelic-speaking at some time in the medieval period. Old Aberdeen is the approximate location of Aberdon, the first settlement of Aberdeen; this literally means "the mouth of the Don". TheCeltic wordaber means "river mouth", as in modern Welsh (Aberystwyth,Aberdare,Aberbeeg etc.).[13] TheScottish Gaelic name isObar Dheathain (variation:Obairreadhain;*obar presumably being a loan from the earlier Pictish; the Gaelic term isinbhir), and inLatin, theRomans referred to the river asDevana.Medieval (orEcclesiastical) Latin has it asAberdonia.[14]
The localDoric pronunciation,[ˌeːbərˈdin]ⓘ or[ˈeːbərdin]ⓘ (with a longay sound), is frequently renderedAiberdeen orAiberdein.
The Aberdeen area has seen human settlement for at least 8,000 years.[11] The city began as two separateburghs:Old Aberdeen at the mouth of theriver Don; and New Aberdeen, a fishing and trading settlement, where the Denburn waterway entered the river Dee estuary.[15] The earliestcharter was granted byWilliam the Lion in 1179 and confirmed the corporate rights granted byDavid I.[16]
In 1214, Aberdeen Burgesses were granted a Royal Charter byAlexander II of Scotland giving them the sole right to form a Guild. This body exercised power in the composition of the local council, and the affairs of the town. TheBurgesses of the Guild were an integral part of the council for more than 700 years and played a considerable role in the growth and development of Aberdeen.[17] In 1319, the Great Charter ofRobert the Bruce transformed Aberdeen into a property-owning and financially independent community. Granted with it was the nearby Forest of Stocket, whose income formed the basis for the city'sCommon Good Fund which still benefits Aberdonians.[18][19]
During theWars of Scottish Independence, Aberdeen was under English rule, so Robert the Bruce laid siege toAberdeen Castle before destroying it in 1308, followed by executing the English garrison. The city was burned byEdward III of England in 1336, but was rebuilt and extended. The city was strongly fortified to prevent attacks by neighbouring lords, but the gates were removed by 1770.[20]
Aberdeen's medieval council registers survive from 1398 onwards and are exceptional for their quantity and continuity among surviving Scottish burgh records. The earliest eight volumes, from 1398 to 1511, have been included in the UNESCOUK Memory of the World Register, and have been edited in a digital edition.[21]
The expensive infrastructure works led to the city becoming bankrupt in 1817 during thePost-Napoleonic depression, an economic downturn immediately after theNapoleonic Wars; but the city's prosperity later recovered. The increasing economic importance of Aberdeen and the development of the shipbuilding and fishing industries led to the construction of thepresent harbour including Victoria Dock and the South Breakwater, and the extension of the North Pier.
Gas street lighting arrived in 1824 and an enhanced water supply appeared in 1830 when water was pumped from the Dee to areservoir in Union Place. An underground sewer system replaced open sewers in 1865.[19] The city absorbed the neighbouring burghs of Old Aberdeen andWoodside plus theTorry area on the south bank of the Dee in 1891.[27][28]
Over the course ofWorld War II Aberdeen was attacked 32 times by the GermanLuftwaffe. One of the most devastating attacks was on Wednesday 21 April 1943 when 29 LuftwaffeDornier 217s flying fromStavanger, Norway attacked the city between the hours of 22:17 and 23:04.[29] A total of 98 civilians and 27 servicemen were killed, along with 12,000 houses damaged, after a mixture of 127 Incendiary, High Explosive and Cluster bombs were dropped on the city in one night.[30]
Two books written in 2018 and 2022 using bombing records held in London identified that unexploded bombs from the 1943 raid were found in the 1950s and 1980s making the bombs dropped 129 in total. Damage from the raid can still be seen in some parts of Aberdeen.[citation needed]
The arms and banner of the city show three silver towers on red. This motif dates from at least the time ofRobert the Bruce and represents the buildings that stood on the three hills of medieval Aberdeen: Aberdeen Castle on Castle Hill (today'sCastlegate); the city gate on Port Hill; and a church on St Catherine's Hill (now levelled).[31]
"Bon Accord" is themotto of the city and is French for "Good Agreement". Legend tells that its use dates from a password used by Robert the Bruce during the 14th centuryWars of Scottish Independence, when he and his men laid siege to the English-held Aberdeen Castle before destroying it in 1308.[18] It is still widely present in the city, throughout street names, business names and the city'sBon Accord shopping mall.[32]
The shield in the coat of arms issupported by twoleopards. A local magazine is called the "Leopard" and, when Union Bridge was widened in the 20th century, small statues of the creature in a sitting position were cast and placed on top of the railing posts (known locally as Kelly's Cats). The city's toast is "Happy to meet, sorry to part, happy to meet again".[33]
In 2012,HSBC named Aberdeen as a leading business hub and one of eight 'super cities' spearheading the UK's economy, marking it as the only city in Scotland so designated.[34] In 2018, Aberdeen was found to be the best city in the UK to start a business in a study released by card payment firm Paymentsense.[35]
The firstburgh of Aberdeen, covering just the New Aberdeen area near the mouth of the Dee, was created byDavid I (reigned 1124–1153).[6][37] Neighbouring Old Aberdeen to the north was subsequently made a separate burgh in 1489.[38] The burgh of Aberdeen was governed by a corporation, also known as the town council. As Aberdeen grew, the council's powers were inadequate to cater for the needs of the growing urban area. A separatepolice commission was established in 1795 with powers to levy taxes and provide infrastructure ('police' in this context being its older meaning of civic government rather than law enforcement). The first police commission was short-lived, but it was resurrected in 1818 after the town council went bankrupt in 1817. From 1818 until 1871 there was a dual system of local government, with the town council and police commission having different roles in Aberdeen's administration. The police commission was eventually abolished in 1871 and its functions absorbed by the town council.[39]
In 1891 the city boundaries were significantly enlarged, absorbing the neighbouring burghs of Old Aberdeen and Woodside, plus the Torry area on the south bank of the Dee. The act of parliament which expanded the burgh also confirmed that Aberdeen was entitled to be called a city; it had commonly been described as a city prior to that, but (like most Scottish cities) without official recognition.[28][40] Following the absorption of Torry in 1891, the city boundaries straddled the counties ofAberdeenshire andKincardineshire. Aberdeen was made acounty of itself in 1899.[41][42] In 1975 the burgh was replaced by the larger City of Aberdeen district within theGrampian region.[43] Further local government reforms in 1996 replaced the districts and regions created in 1975 with council areas; the pre-1996 City of Aberdeen district became the Aberdeen City council area.[44][45]
Being situated between two river mouths, the city has little natural exposure of bedrock. The small amount of geophysics done, and occasional building-related exposures, combined with small exposures in the banks of the River Don, suggest that it is actually sited on an inlier of Devonian "Old Red" sandstones and silts. The outskirts of the city spread beyond the (inferred) limits of the outlier onto the surrounding metamorphic/ igneous complexes formed during theDalradian period (approximately 480–600 million years ago) with sporadic areas ofigneousDiorite granites to be found, such as that at theRubislaw quarry which was used to build much of theVictorian parts of the city.[48]
The city extends to 186 km2 (72 sq mi),[2] and includes the former burghs of Old Aberdeen, New Aberdeen,Woodside and theTorry area to the south ofRiver Dee. In 2024, this gave the city a population density of 1,249 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,230/sq mi).[2] The city is built on many hills, with the original beginnings of the city growing from Castle Hill, St. Catherine's Hill and Windmill Hill.[49] When compared to mainland Europe, Aberdeen is further north than almost all of Denmark and plenty of southern Sweden, being just south ofGothenburg in terms of latitude.[50][51]
Aberdeen features anoceanic climate (KöppenCfb), with far milder winter temperatures than one might expect for its northern location. However, statistically speaking, it is still the coldest city in the UK. During the winter, especially throughout December, the length of the day is very short, averaging 6 hours and 41 minutes between sunrise and sunset at the winter solstice.[52] As winter progresses, the length of the day grows fairly quickly, to 8 hours and 20 minutes by the end of January. Around summer solstice, the days will be around 18 hours long, having 17 hours and 55 minutes between sunrise and sunset.[52] During this time of the year marginalnautical twilight lasts the entire night. Temperatures at this time of year hover around 17.0 °C (62.6 °F) during the day in most of the urban area, though nearer 16.0 °C (60.8 °F) directly on the coast, and around 18.0 to 19.0 °C (64.4 to 66.2 °F) in the westernmost suburbs.[53]
Two weather stations collect climate data for the area,Aberdeen/Dyce Airport, and Craibstone. Both are about4+1⁄2 miles (7 km) to the northwest of the city centre, and given that they are in close proximity to each other, exhibit very similar climatic regimes. Dyce tends to have marginally warmer daytime temperatures year-round owing to its slightly lower elevation, though it is more susceptible to harsh frosts. The coldest temperature to occur in recent years was −16.8 °C (1.8 °F) during December 2010,[54] while the following winter, Dyce set a new February high-temperature station record on 28 February 2012 of 17.2 °C (63.0 °F),[55] and a new March high temperature record of 21.6 °C (70.9 °F) on 25 March 2012.[56]
The average temperature of the sea ranges from 6.6 °C (43.9 °F) in March to 13.8 °C (56.8 °F) in August.[57]
Climate data forDyce-Aberdeen (ABZ),[a] elevation: 65 m (213 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1960–present
Population pyramid of Aberdeen (local council area) in 2020Aberdeen's population since 1396[64]
The Aberdeenlocality population estimate is 198,590 (2020).[4] For the widersettlement of Aberdeen includingCove Bay andDyce, the population estimate is 220,690 (2020).[4] For Aberdeen City council area, the population estimate is 231,780 (2024).[2]
In 1396, the population was about 3,000. By 1801, it had become 26,992, then 153,503 in 1901, and finally 182,467 in 1941.[65]
The 2011 census showed fewer young people in Aberdeen, with 16.4% under 16, as opposed to the national average of 19.2%.[66] According to the 2011 census Aberdeen is 91.9% white, ethnically, 24.7% were born outside Scotland, higher than the national average of 16%. Of this population, 7.6% were born in other parts of the UK.[67] 8.2% of Aberdonians stated to be from an ethnic minority (non-white) in the 2011 census, with 9,519 (4.3%) being Asian, with 3,385 (1.5%) coming from India and 2,187 (1.0%) beingChinese. The city has around 5,610 (2.6%) residents of African or Caribbean origin, which is a higher percentage than bothGlasgow andEdinburgh.[67]
In the household, there were 97,013 individual dwellings recorded in the city, of which 61% were privately owned, 9% privately rented and 23% rented from the council. The most popular type of dwellings are apartments which comprise 49% of residences followed by semi-detached at just below 22%.[68]The median income of a household in the city is £16,813 (the mean income is £20,292)[69] (2005) which places approximately 18% households in the city below the poverty line (defined as 60% of the mean income). Conversely, an Aberdeen postcode has the second highest number of millionaires of any postcode in the UK.[70]
The proportion of people residing in Aberdeen born outside the UK was 21.1% in 2022, compared with 15.9% in 2011 and 6.3% in 2001. Below are the fifteen largest overseas-born groups in Aberdeen according to the 2022 census, alongside the two previous censuses.[76]
Christianity is the main religion practised in the city. Aberdeen's largest denominations are theChurch of Scotland (through thePresbytery of Aberdeen) and the RomanCatholic Church, both with numerous churches across the city, with theScottish Episcopal Church having the third-largest number. The census in 2022 showed that Aberdeen has the highest proportion of non-religious residents of any city in Scotland, with 58% of citizens claiming to have no religion.[78]
In theMiddle Ages, theKirk 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 theReformation, in this case into the East and West churches. At that time, the city also was home to houses of theCarmelites (Whitefriars)[79] andFranciscans (Greyfriars). The latter survives in modified form as the chapel of Marischal College.[80]
Numerous other Protestant denominations have a presence in Aberdeen.The Salvation Army citadel on the Castlegate dominates the view of the east end of Union Street. In addition, there is aUnitarian church, established in 1833 and located in Skene Terrace.Christadelphians have been present in Aberdeen since at least 1844. Over the years, they have rented space to meet at a number of locations and currently meet in the Inchgarth Community Centre in Garthdee.[82] There is also aQuaker meetinghouse on Crown Street, the only purpose builtFriends meeting house in Scotland that is still in use today. In addition, there are a number of Baptist congregations in the city, andEvangelical congregations have been appearing in significant numbers since the late 2000s. The city also has two meeting houses ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).[83]
There are also fourmosques in Aberdeen which serve the Islamic community in the city.[84][85] There is anOrthodox Jewish Synagogue established in 1945. There is also a ThaiBuddhist temple located in the Hazelhead area of the city. There are no formalHindu buildings, although there is a fortnightly Hindu religious gathering on the first and third Sunday afternoons at Queens Cross Parish church hall.[86] TheUniversity of Aberdeen has a smallBaháʼí society.
The 2022 Scottish Census reported that out of 217,756 residents aged three and over, 76,650 (35.2%) considered themselves able to speak or read the Scots language.[87]
The 2022 Scottish Census reported that out of 217,760 residents aged three and over, 2,919 (1.3%) considered themselves able to speak or readGaelic.[88]
Traditionally, Aberdeen was home to fishing, textile mills, shipbuilding and paper-making. These industries have been largely replaced. High technology developments in the electronics design and development industry, research in agriculture and fishing and theoil industry, which have been largely responsible for Aberdeen's economic growth, are now major parts of Aberdeen's economy.[89]
Until the 1970s, most of Aberdeen's leading industries dated from the 18th century; mainly these were textiles, foundry work, shipbuilding and paper-making, 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 theStoneywood Paper Mill with a workforce of approximately 500. Textile production ended in 2004 whenRichards of Aberdeen closed.[90]
Grey granite wasquarried atRubislaw 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 theHouses of Parliament andWaterloo Bridge in London. Quarrying finally ceased in 1971. The current owners have begun pumping 40 years of rainwater from the quarry to develop a heritage centre on the site.[91]
Neptune Energy and Aker Solutions Buildings, North Dee Business Quarter. An example of modern offices becoming more prevalent in Aberdeen's City Centre
In-shore 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 because of overfishing and the use of the harbour by oil support vessels,[92] and so although still an important fishing port it is now eclipsed by the more northerly ports ofPeterhead andFraserburgh. TheFisheries Research Services are headquartered in Aberdeen, and there is a marine research laboratory there.[93]
Aberdeen is well regarded for the agricultural and soil research carried out atThe James Hutton Institute (formerly the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute), which has close links to the city's two universities. TheRowett 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 oflife scientists working in the city.[94][95]
As oil reserves in the North Sea decrease, there is an effort to rebrand Aberdeen as "Energy Capital of Europe" rather than "Oil Capital of Europe", and there is interest in the development of new energy sources, and technology transfer from oil into renewable energy and other industries is underway. The "Energetica" initiative led by Scottish Enterprise has been designed to accelerate this process.[96] Aberdeen has become a major world centre for undersea petroleum technology.[97][98]
Aberdeen had been a major maritime centre throughout the 19th century, when a group of local entrepreneurs launched the first steam-powered trawler. The steam trawling industry expanded and by 1933 Aberdeen was Scotland's top fishing port, employing nearly 3,000 men with 300 vessels sailing from its harbour. By the time oil was coming on stream, much of the trawling fleet had relocated toPeterhead.[99]
Geologists had speculated about oil and gas in the North Sea since the middle of the 20th century, but tapping its deep and inhospitable waters was another story. With the Middle Eastern oil sheiks becoming more aware of the political and economic power of their oil reserves and government threats of rationing, the industry began to consider the North Sea as a viable source of oil. Exploration commenced in the 1960s and the first major find in the British sector was in November 1970 in the Forties field, 110 miles (180 km) east of Aberdeen.[10]
By late 1975, after years of intense construction, the necessary infrastructure was in place. Oil flowed through theForties pipeline system directly to the refinery at far-awayGrangemouth.[100]
In 2011, the Centre for Cities named Aberdeen as the best-placed city for growth in Britain, as the country looked to emerge from the recent economic downturn.[101] With energy still providing the backbone of the local economy, recent years have seen very large new investment in the North Sea owing to rising oil prices and favourable government tax incentives.[102] This has led to several oil majors and independents building new global offices in the city.[103]
Five of Scotland's top ten businesses are based in Aberdeen with a collective turnover of £14 billion, yielding a profit in excess of £2.4 billion. Alongside this 29 of Scotland's top 100 businesses are located in Aberdeen with an employment rate of 77.9%, making it the second highest UK city for employment.[104]
Figures released in 2016 ranked Aberdeen as having the second highest number of patents processed per person in the UK.[105]
The traditional shopping streets areUnion Street andGeorge Street, now complemented by shopping centres, including theBon Accord Centre and theTrinity Shopping Centre. A £190 million retail development,Union Square, reached completion in late September/early October 2009.[106] Majorretail parks away from the city centre include the Berryden Retail Park, the Kittybrewster Retail Park and the Beach Boulevard Retail Park.Aberdeen Market has been rebuilt twice, but closed in 2020.[107]
Aberdeen's architecture is known for its principal use during the Victorian era ofgranite, which has led to its local nickname of the Granite City.[109]
Amongst the notable buildings in the city's main street,Union Street, are the Town and County Bank,the Music Hall, theTrinity Hall of the incorporated trades (originating between 1398 and 1527, although completely rebuilt in the 1860s), now a shopping mall; the former office of the Northern Assurance Company, and theNational Bank of Scotland. In Castle Street, a continuation eastwards of Union Street, is the newAberdeen Town House, a very prominent landmark in Aberdeen, built between 1868 and 1873 to a design by Peddie and Kinnear.[110]
In addition to the many fine landmark buildings, Aberdeen has many prominent public statues, three of the most notable beingWilliam Wallace at the junction between Union Terrace and Rosemount Viaduct,Robert Burns on Union Terrace aboveUnion Terrace Gardens, and Robert the Bruce holding aloft the charter he issued to the city in 1319 on Broad Street, outsideMarischal College.[112]
Aberdeen has long been famous for its 45[113] parks and gardens, and citywide floral displays which include two million roses, eleven million daffodils and three million crocuses. The city has won theRoyal Horticultural Society'sBritain in Bloom 'Best City' award ten times,[113] the overall Scotland in Bloom competition twenty times[113] and the large city category every year since 1968.[113] However, despite recent spurious reports, Aberdeen has never been banned from the Britain in Bloom competition.[114] The city won the 2006 Scotland in Bloom "Best City" award along with the International Cities in Bloom award. The suburb of Dyce also won the Small Towns award.[115][116]
Duthie Park opened in 1883 on the north bank of theRiver Dee. It was named after and given to the city by Miss Elizabeth Crombie Duthie of Ruthrieston in 1881.[117]Hazlehead Park, is large and forested, and located on the outskirts of the city.[118]Johnston Gardens is a small park of one hectare in the west end of the city. In 2002, the garden was named the best garden in theBritish Islands.[113]Seaton Park, formerly the grounds of a private house, is on the edge of the grounds ofSt Machar's Cathedral and was acquired for the city in 1947.[119]
Aberdeen has hosted several theatres throughout its history, some of which have been converted or destroyed. The most famous include:
CrossCountry operates services toPlymouth and Edinburgh. The train to Plymouth was part of the UK's previous longest direct passenger train which took 13 hours and 23 minutes to reachPenzance.[128] The service to Penzance ceased operation on the 16th May and now terminates in Plymouth, and no longer holds the title for the UK's longest direct rail journey.[129]
Today, all railway services to the south run viaDundee. The faster main line from Aberdeen toPerth viaForfar andStrathmore closed in 1967, as a result of theBeeching cuts; the faster main line from Perth to Edinburgh viaGlenfarg also closed subsequently in 1970.[131]
The A93 is the main route to the west, heading towards Royal Deeside and theCairngorms. AfterBraemar, it turns south, providing an alternative tourist route to Perth.
The A944 also heads west, throughWesthill and on toAlford.
The A92 was the original southerly road to Aberdeen prior to the building of the A90; it is now used as a tourist route, connecting the city to the towns ofMontrose andArbroath, and to the east coast.
Aberdeen is the global headquarters of parent companyFirstGroup, having grown from theGRT Group. First is still based at the former Aberdeen Tramways depot on King Street, which has now been redeveloped into a new headquarters and bus depot.[134]
Coach services are operated by:
National Express runs express coach services to London twice daily
Aberdeen International Airport (ABZ), sited in Dyce in the north of the city, serves domestic and international destinations in France, the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Scandinavian countries. The heliport, which serves the oil industry and rescue services, is one of the world's busiest commercial heliports.[7]
Aberdeen is connected to the UK'sNational Cycle Network; it has a track to the south, connecting to cities including Dundee and Edinburgh, and one to the north that forks about10 miles (15 km) from the city into two different tracks heading to Inverness and Fraserburgh respectively. Two popularshared-use paths, along old railway lines, are theDeeside Way toBanchory (which will eventually connect to Ballater) and theFormartine and Buchan Way to Ellon, both used by a mixture of cyclists, walkers and occasionally horses.[137]
Aberdeen Harbour is important as the largest in the north of Scotland and serves the ferry route toOrkney andShetland. Established in 1136, the harbour has been referred to as the "oldest business in Britain".[138]
The Dee Estuary, Aberdeen's harbour, started out as a fishing port, moving on to steam trawlers and serving the oil industry; it is now a major port of departure for theBaltic andScandinavia.[139]
Aberdeen has two universities, the ancientUniversity of Aberdeen, andRobert Gordon University, a modern university often referred to as RGU. Aberdeen has a high proportion of students of 11.5%, higher than the national average of 7%.[140]
TheUniversity of Aberdeen began asKing's College, Aberdeen, which was founded in 1495[139] byWilliam Elphinstone (1431–1514),Bishop of Aberdeen and Chancellor of Scotland.Marischal College, a separate institution, was founded in "New" Aberdeen byGeorge Keith, fifth Earl Marischal of Scotland in 1593.[139] These institutions were merged by order[Act?] of Parliament in 1860 to form the University of Aberdeen.[139] The university is the fifth oldest in the English-speaking world[141] and offers degrees in a full range of disciplines. Its main campus is in Old Aberdeen in the north of the city and it currently has approximately 14,000 students. The university's debating society is the oldest in Scotland, founded in 1848 as the King's College Debating Society.[142] Today, Aberdeen is consistently ranked among the top 200 universities in the world[143] and is ranked within the top 20 universities in the United Kingdom.[144][145] Aberdeen was also named the 2019 Scottish University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide.[146] In early 2022, Aberdeen opened theScience Teaching Hub.[147]
Robert Gordon's College (originally Robert Gordon's Hospital) was founded in 1750 by the merchantRobert Gordon,[139] 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 poorburgesses 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 aCentral Institution and was renamed as the Robert Gordon Institute of Technology in 1965. In 1992, university status was awarded and it becameRobert Gordon University.[148] The university has expanded and developed significantly in recent years, and was named Best Modern University in the UK for 2012 byThe Sunday Times. It was previouslyThe Sunday Times Scottish University of the Year for 2011, primarily because of its record on graduate employment. The citation for the 2011 award read: "With a graduate unemployment rate that is lower than the most famous universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, plus a flourishing reputation for research, high student satisfaction rates and ambitious plans for its picturesque campus, the Robert Gordon University is The Sunday Times Scottish University of the Year".[149]
North East Scotland College
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.Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment, was one of the first architectural schools to have its training courses recognised by theRoyal Institute of British Architects. Both are now part ofRobert Gordon University and are based at its Garthdee campus.North East Scotland College has several campuses in the city and offers a wide variety of part-time and full-time courses leading to several different qualifications in science. TheScottish Agricultural College is based just outside Aberdeen, on the Craibstone Estate. This is situated beside the roundabout for Aberdeen Airport on the A96. The college provides three services—Learning, Research and Consultancy. The college features many land-based courses such as Agriculture, Countryside Management, Sustainable Environmental Management and Rural Business Management. There are a variety of courses from diplomas to master's degrees. TheMarine Laboratory Aberdeen, which specialises in fisheries,Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (soil science), and theRowett Research Institute (animal nutrition) are some other higher education institutions.[139]
The Aberdeen College of Performing Arts also provides full-time Drama and Musical Theatre training at Further Education level.[150]
The city has a wide range of cultural activities, amenities, and museums,[152] and is regularly visited byScotland's National Arts Companies. It was awarded the Nicholson Trophy for the best-kept town at theBritain in Bloom contest in 1975.[153]
TheAberdeen Art Gallery houses a collection ofImpressionist, Victorian, Scottish and 20th-century British paintings as well as collections of silver and glass. It also includes The Alexander Macdonald Bequest, a collection of late 19th-century works donated by the museum's first benefactor and a constantly changing collection of contemporary work and regular visiting exhibitions.[154] The Aberdeen Art Gallery reopened in 2019 after a four-year refurbishment costing £34.6m.[155]
TheAberdeen Maritime Museum, located inShiprow, tells the story of Aberdeen's links with the sea from the days of sail andclipper ships to the latest oil and gas exploration technology. It includes an 8.5-metre-high (28 ft) model of the Murchison oil production platform and a 19th-century assembly taken fromRattray Head lighthouseProvost Ross' House is the second oldest dwelling house in the city. It was built in 1593 and became the residence ofProvost John Ross of Arnage in 1702. The house retains some originalmedieval features, including a kitchen, fireplaces and beam-and-board ceilings.[156] TheGordon Highlanders Museum tells the story of one of Scotland's best known regiments.[157]
Provost Skene's House on Flourmill Lane dates from 1545 and is the oldest surviving townhouse in the city. It reopened in October 2021 after significant refurbishment costing £3.8m.[158] One of the new exhibitions is a Hall of Heroes featuring 100 Aberdonians who have made a significant contribution to the city.[159][158]
TheTollbooth Museum on the Castlegate (currently closed to visitors) is a former jail, which first opened as a public museum in 1995.[160]
The Aberdeen Treasure Hub is a storage facility for Aberdeen Museums and Galleries containing over 100,000 items.[161] The store is open for infrequent tours, for example as part ofDoors Open Day.[162]
Marischal Museum holds the principal collections of theUniversity of Aberdeen, comprising some 80,000 items in the areas of fine art, Scottish history and archaeology, and European, Mediterranean and Near Eastern archaeology. The permanent displays and reference collections are augmented by regular temporary exhibitions, and since its closure to the public it now has a virtual online presence[163] It closed to the public in 2008.[164] TheKing's Museum acts as the main museum of the university now.[165]
Aberdeen is home to a number of events and festivals including theAberdeen International Youth Festival (the world's largest arts festival for young performers), Aberdeen Jazz Festival,Aberdeen Alternative Festival, Rootin' Aboot (a folk and roots music event), Triptych, theUniversity of Aberdeen's annual May Fest (formerly theWord festival) and DanceLive, Scotland's only festival of contemporary dance, produced by the city's Citymoves dance organisation.[166]
TheAberdeen Student Show, performed annually without interruption since 1921, under the auspices of the Aberdeen Students' Charities Campaign, is the longest-running of its kind in the United Kingdom. It is written, produced and performed by students and graduates of Aberdeen's universities and higher education institutions. Since 1929—other than on a handful of occasions—it has been staged atHis Majesty's Theatre.[167]
Aberdeen is home to Spectra, an annual light festival hosted in different locations across the city.[169]
Aberdeen is home toNuart, a festival showcasing street art around the city. The festival has run since 2017.[170]
In 2020, the WayWORD Festival[171] was launched by theUniversity of Aberdeen WORD centre for creative writing. This yearly programme celebrates the arts through readings, performances, workshops and discussion panels. There have been many notable headliners includingVal McDermid,Irvine Welsh andDouglas Stuart (writer).
Galas are held annually throughout the city, the most notable being the Culter Gala, which is usually held on the last Saturday of May.
The local dialect ofLowland Scots is often known as Doric and is spoken not just in the city, but across the northeast of Scotland. It differs somewhat from other Scots dialects: most noticeable are the pronunciation "f" for what is normally written "wh" and "ee" for what in standard English would usually be written "oo" (Scots "ui"). Every year the annual Doric Festival takes place in Aberdeenshire to celebrate the history of the north-east's language.[172]
Aberdeen is home to Scotland's oldest newspaperthePress and Journal, a local and regional newspaper first published in 1747. ThePress and Journal and its sister paper thetabloidEvening Express are printed six days a week byAberdeen Journals. There was one free newspaper, theAberdeen Citizen.BBC Scotland has a network studio production base in the city's Beechgrove area, and BBC Aberdeen producesThe Beechgrove Potting Shed for radio while Tern Television producesThe Beechgrove Garden.[173] The city is also home toSTV North (formerly Grampian Television), which produces the regional news programmes such asSTV News at Six, as well as local commercials. The station, based at Craigshaw Business Park inTullos, was based at larger studios inQueens Cross from September 1961 until June 2003.[174]
Aberdeen butteries, also known as rowies, served with jam
The Aberdeen region has given its name to a number of dishes, including theAberdeen buttery (also known as "rowie")[178] and Aberdeen Sausage.[179]
In 2015, a study was published inThe Scotsman which analysed the presence ofbranded fast food outlets in Scotland. Of the ten towns and cities analysed, Aberdeen was found to have the lowest per capita concentration, with just 0.12 stores per 1,000 inhabitants.[180]
Aberdeen City Council is responsible for city-owned infrastructure which is paid for by a mixture of Council Tax and income from theScottish Government. Infrastructure and services run by the council include: nursery, primary and secondary education, roads, clearing snow in winter, city wardens, maintaining parks, refuse collection, economic development, public analyst, public mortuary, street cleaning and street lighting. Infrastructure in private hands includes electricity, gas and telecoms. Water and sewerage services are provided byScottish Water.[184]
The first ever recorded game of football, was outlined by teacherDavid Wedderburn in his book "Vocabula" written in 1633, during his time teaching atAberdeen Grammar School.[188]
After 8 seasons in charge, the most recent of Managers Derek McInnes, was relieved of his duties, the club's failure to achieve anything more than 1 trophy in 24 competitions during his tenure and a recent run of games which saw 1 goal in ten matches ultimately proved costly for the Manager and his Assistant Tony Docherty. Under the management of McInnes the team won the2014Scottish League Cup and followed it up with a second-place league finish for the first time in more than 20 years in the following season. But it was over the last few seasons that results stagnated and McInnes was replaced by former Aberdeen and Newcastle playerStephen Glass.[190] The current manager isJimmy Thelin.
In 2005 the President of theSRU said it was hoped eventually to establish a professional team in Aberdeen.[195] In November 2008 the city hosted a rugby international atPittodrie betweenScotland andCanada, with Scotland winning 41–0.[196] In November 2010 the city once again hosted a rugby international atPittodrie betweenScotland andSamoa, with Scotland winning 19–16.[197]
There are new courses planned for the area, including world-class facilities with major financial backing, the city and shire are set to become important in golf tourism. In Summer 2012,Donald Trump opened a new state of the art golf course at Menie, just north of the city, as theTrump International Golf Links, Scotland.[202]
Ice hockey in Aberdeen boasts a history that began in the early 20th century.The Aberdeen Glaciarium on Forbesfield Road became a hub for games, featuring teams like the Grammar School Former Pupils and the Aberdeen Ice Hockey Club. However, the sport all but died out with the onset of WW1.
The sport was revived in the city with the opening of the Linx Ice Arena in 1992.
Aberdeen Lynx plays in theScottish National League and is based at the Linx Ice Arena.[203]Founded in 2005, they won back to back regular season titles in 2022-23 and 2023–24 and won the play-off championship in 2015-16 and again in 2024–25.They regularly sell out home games and are the second best supported sports team in the city after Aberdeen FC.
The City of Aberdeen Swim Team (COAST) was based in Northfield swimming pool, but since the opening of theAberdeen Aquatics Centre in 2014, it is now based there, as it has a 50 m pool as opposed to the 25 m pool at Northfield. It has been in operation since 1996. The team comprises several smaller swimming clubs and has enjoyed success throughout Scotland and in international competitions. Three of the team's swimmers qualified for the 2006Commonwealth Games.[204] There are four boat clubs that row on the River Dee: Aberdeen Boat Club (ABC), Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association (ASRA), Aberdeen University Boat Club (AUBC) and Robert Gordon University Boat Club (RGUBC).[205]
The city has one national league side, Stoneywood-Dyce. Local "Grades"[206] cricket has been played in Aberdeen since 1884. Aberdeenshire were the 2009 and 2014 Scottish National Premier League and Scottish Cup Champions.[207] Aberdeen University Shinty Club (Scottish Gaelic: Club Camanachd Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is the oldest constitutedshinty club in the world, dating back to 1861.[208]
The city council operates public tennis courts in various parks including an indoor tennis centre at Westburn Park. The Beach Leisure Centre is home to a climbing wall, gymnasium and a swimming pool. There are numerous swimming pools dotted around the city notably the largest, theBon Accord Baths which closed down in 2008.[209] In common with many other major towns and cities in the UK, Aberdeen has an activeroller derby league,Granite City Roller Derb.[210]
TheAberdeen RoughnecksAmerican football club is a new team that started in 2012 and is the first team that Aberdeen has witnessed since the Granite City Oilers that began in 1986 and were wound up in the mid-1990s.[211]Aberdeen Oilers Floorball Club was founded in 2007. The club initially attracted a range of experienced Scandinavian and other European players who were studying in Aberdeen. Since their formation, Aberdeen Oilers have played in the British Floorball Northern League and went on to win the league in the 2008/09 season. The club played a major role in setting up a ladies league in Scotland. The Oilers' ladies team ended up second in the first ladies league season (2008/09).[212]
James Gregory (1638–1675), Scottish mathematician and astronomer, born in the manse at Drumoak, just outside Aberdeen. AttendedAberdeen Grammar School andMarischal College,University of Aberdeen. Discovered diffraction gratings a year after Newton's prism experiments, and invented the Gregorian telescope design in 1663 which is used in telescopes such as theArecibo Observatory.
David Gregory (1659–1708), Scottish mathematician and astronomer. AttendedAberdeen Grammar School andMarischal College,University of Aberdeen. A professor of mathematics. Based on his uncleJames Gregory's work, he extended or discovered the method of quadratures by infinite series. His principle work "Astronomiae physicae et geometricae elementa" (1702) was the first text-book on gravitational principles.
Michael Gove, former MP and Secretary of State, current member of the House of Lords as Lord Gove of Torry.
John Macleod (1876–1935) Biochemist and Physiologist. For his role in the discovery and isolation of insulin he was awarded theNobel Prize forPhysiology orMedicine in 1923.
John Alexander MacWilliam (1857–1937),Professor of the Institutes of Medicine (later Physiology) at theUniversity of Aberdeen. Pioneer in the field of cardiac electro-physiology & ventricular fibrillation of the heart. First to propose ventricular fibrillation as the most common cause of sudden death through heart attack. First to propose use of life saving electrical de-fibrilators. His work laid the frame work for the development of the pace maker.
Laura Main, actress, best known for playing Sister Bernadette/Shelagh Turner in the BBC'sCall the Midwife
Robert Morison (1620–1683), a Scottish botanist and taxonomist. He elucidated and developed the first systematic classification of plants. Gained hisMaster of Arts from theUniversity of Aberdeen at the age of eighteen. For ten years Director ofLouis XIV's royal gardens atBlois, France, then physician, botanist & superintendent of all royal gardens forCharles II of Scotland.
Alberto Morrocco (1917–1998), Scottish artist and teacher famous for his landscapes of Scotland and abroad.
Andy Nisbet (1953–2019), a Scottish mountaineer, guide, climbing instructor, and editor of climbing guidebooks. A pioneer of mixed rock and ice climbing techniques over 45 years. Developed over 1,000 new winter climbing routes in Scotland.
Ara Paiaya, film producer and director ofSkin Traffik,Instant Death andPurge of Kingdoms.
Lawson Robertson (1883–1951), born in Aberdeen, competed for the U.S. Olympic Team at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, winning the bronze medal in the standing high jump. Head coach of U.S. track team at 4 successive Olympic games, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936.
Stuart MacBride's crime novelsCold Granite,Dying Light,Broken Skin,Flesh House,Blind Eye andDark Blood (a series with main protagonist,DS Logan McRae) are all set in Aberdeen.[217]
A large part of the plot of the World War II thrillerEye of the Needle by Welsh author,Ken Follett, takes place in wartime Aberdeen, from which a German spy is trying to escape to a submarine waiting offshore.[218]
A portion ofIan Rankin's novelBlack and Blue (1997) is set in Aberdeen, where its nickname "Furry Boots" is noted.[219]
The Scottish rock bandThe Xcerts released the song "Aberdeen 1987" on their debut albumIn the Cold Wind We Smile, released on 30 March 2009. The first verse contains the line "15, sitting in a graveyard talking about their history". The graveyard referenced in the song is the graveyard of theKirk of St Nicholas onUnion Street.[223]
^"Community Councils".Aberdeen City Council. 8 February 2024. Retrieved14 August 2024.
^"Aberdeen Burgh".A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved14 August 2024.
^"Old Aberdeen Burgh".A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth.Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved14 August 2024.
^Office of Population Censuses and Surveys; General Register Office for Scotland; Registrar General for Northern Ireland (1997): 1991 Census aggregate data. UK Data Service (Edition: 1997). DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.5257/census/aggregate-1991-1Archived 27 August 2022 at theWayback Machine This information is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence
^abCensus Dissemination Unit, Mimas (5 May 2011)."InFuse".infuse2011gf.ukdataservice.ac.uk.Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved24 June 2022.
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