Aberdeen
Aberdeen (/ˌæbərˈdiːn/ ⓘ; Scots: Aiberdeen [ˌeːbərˈdin] ⓘ; Scottish Gaelic: Obar Dheathain [ˈopəɾ ˈʝɛ.ɪɲ]; Latin: Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous Scottish city. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City[8]), and has a 2020 population estimate of 198,590 for the city,[4] making it the United Kingdom's 39th most populous built-up area, and 227,430 for the wider council area including outlying localities.[5] The city is 93 mi (150 km) northeast of Edinburgh and 398 mi (641 km) north of London, and is the northernmost major city in the United Kingdom. Aberdeen has a long, sandy coastline and features an oceanic climate, with cool summers and mild, rainy winters.[9]
This article is about the city in Scotland. For other uses, see Aberdeen (disambiguation).
Aberdeen
Aberdeen City
Aberdeen
1179
1891
David Cameron (SNP)
- Jackie Dunbar (SNP)
- Kevin Stewart (SNP)
- Audrey Nicoll (SNP)
- Kirsty Blackman (SNP)
- Richard Thomson (SNP)
- Stephen Flynn (SNP)
23.4 sq mi (60.7 km2)
29.2 sq mi (75.6 km2)
71.7 sq mi (185.6 km2)
198,590
8,500/sq mi (3,300/km2)
220,690
7,600/sq mi (2,900/km2)
489,840
227,430
3,180/sq mi (1,226/km2)
Aberdonians
£16.064 billion (2021)
01224
GB-ABE
S12000033
UKM50
During the mid-18th to mid-20th centuries, Aberdeen's buildings incorporated locally quarried grey granite, which may sparkle like silver because of its high mica content.[10] Since the discovery of North Sea oil in 1969, Aberdeen has been known as the offshore oil capital of Europe.[11] Based upon the discovery of prehistoric villages around the mouths of the rivers Dee and Don, the area around Aberdeen has been thought to have been settled for at least 6,000 years.[12]
Aberdeen received royal burgh status from David I of Scotland (1124–1153),[13] which transformed the city economically. The traditional industries of fishing, paper-making, shipbuilding, and textiles have been overtaken by the oil industry and Aberdeen's seaport. Aberdeen Heliport is one of the busiest commercial heliports in the world,[14] and the seaport is the largest in the north-east part of Scotland.[15] A university town, the city is known for the University of Aberdeen, founded in 1495 as the fifth oldest university in the English-speaking world and located in Old Aberdeen.
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.[16] 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.[17][18]
Aberdeen's architecture is known for its principal use during the Victorian era of granite, which has led to its local nickname of the Granite City.[102]
Amongst the notable buildings in the city's main street, Union Street, are the Town and County Bank, the Music Hall, the Trinity 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 the National Bank of Scotland. In Castle Street, a continuation eastwards of Union Street, is the new Aberdeen Town House, a very prominent landmark in Aberdeen, built between 1868 and 1873 to a design by Peddie and Kinnear.[103]
Alexander Marshall Mackenzie's extension to Marischal College on Broad Street, opened by King Edward VII in 1906, created the second largest granite building in the world (after the Escorial, Madrid).[104]
In addition to the many fine landmark buildings, Aberdeen has many prominent public statues, three of the most notable being William Wallace at the junction between Union Terrace and Rosemount Viaduct, Robert Burns on Union Terrace above Union Terrace Gardens, and Robert the Bruce holding aloft the charter he issued to the city in 1319 on Broad Street, outside Marischal College.[105]
Aberdeen has long been famous for its 45[106] parks and gardens, and citywide floral displays which include two million roses, eleven million daffodils and three million crocuses. The city has won the Royal Horticultural Society's Britain in Bloom 'Best City' award ten times,[106] the overall Scotland in Bloom competition twenty times[106] and the large city category every year since 1968.[106] However, despite recent spurious reports, Aberdeen has never been banned from the Britain in Bloom competition.[107] 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.[108][109]
Duthie Park opened in 1899 on the north bank of the River Dee. It was named after and given to the city by Miss Elizabeth Crombie Duthie of Ruthrieston in 1881.[110] Hazlehead Park, is large and forested, and located on the outskirts of the city.[111] 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 the British Islands.[106] Seaton Park, formerly the grounds of a private house, is on the edge of the grounds of St Machar's Cathedral and was acquired for the city in 1947.[112]
Aberdeen has hosted several theatres throughout its history, some of which have subsequently been converted or destroyed. The most
famous include:
The public health service in Scotland, NHS Scotland provides for the people of Aberdeen through the NHS Grampian health board. Aberdeen Royal Infirmary is the largest hospital in the city and one of the largest in Europe[167][168] (the location of the city's A&E department), Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, a paediatric hospital, Royal Cornhill Hospital for mental health, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, an antenatal hospital, Woodend Hospital, which specialises in rehabilitation and long-term illnesses and conditions, and City Hospital and Woolmanhill Hospital, which host several out-patient clinics and offices. Albyn Hospital is a private hospital located in the west end of the city.[169]
Aberdeen City Council is responsible for city-owned infrastructure which is paid for by a mixture of Council Tax and income from the Scottish 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 by Scottish Water.[170]
Aberdeen is twinned with
