Introduction
Aberdeen (The Granite City) is the third largest city in Scotland. aberdeen
It is the main commercial center and seaport in the northeast of
Scotland. It holds the title of European Oil Capital thanks to the
abundant supply of crude oil in the North Sea, and is located in a bay of
the North Sea, between the mouths of the Don and Dee rivers.
History
Aberdeen grew as two separate burghs: Old Aberdeen at the mouth of the
the Don and New Aberdeen, a fishing and trading settlement where the
Denburn entered the Dee Estuary. The oldest charter was granted by
King William the Lion around 1179, confirming corporate rights.
granted by David I. The city received other royal charters later. In
1319, Robert the Bruce’s Great Charter transformed Aberdeen into a
Community owned and financially independent. the city was
burned by Edward III of England in 1336, but was soon rebuilt and
enlarged, and called New Aberdeen.
For many centuries the city was
subject to attacks from neighboring lords, and was strongly
fortified, but all gates were removed by 1770. In the 18th century
a new Town Hall was built, elegantly furnished with a marble fireplace
from Holland and a set of fine crystal chandeliers and sconces. Tea
The 19th century was a time of considerable expansion. By 1901 the
population was 153,000 and the city covered more than 6,000 acres (24
km²). In the late 18th century, the council embarked on a plan
of road improvements, and by 1805 George Street, King Street and Union
Street were open, the latter a feat of extraordinary engineering skill
involving the partial leveling of St Catherine’s Hill and the building
of arches to carry the street over Putachieside. Increasing
Aberdeen’s economic importance and shipbuilding development
and the fishing industries brought the need to improve port facilities.
During this century, much of the port as it exists today was built
including the Victoria Dock, the South Dock and the expansion of the
North Pier.
Places of interest
The main places of interest for tourists in Aberdeen are the
museums, art galleries and the Scottish castle trails. here is a list
of interesting places in Aberdeen:
Museums and art galleries
The city is blessed with services that cover a wide range of cultural activities.
activities and has a selection of museums. The Aberdeen Art Gallery
houses a collection of Impressionist, Victorian, Scottish and 20th century works.
Century British paintings as well as silver and glass collections.
Also includes The Alexander Macdonald Bequest, a collection of works
19th-century works donated by the museum’s first benefactor and a
constantly changing collection of contemporary works and
visits to exhibitions. Some of Aberdeen’s other museums and art
the galleries are:
fine granite theater that serves as home to popular shows.
Shopping
The main shopping districts are concentrated in specialty stores in Chapel and
Thistle streets and the well-known chains at George and Union streets.
Of interest to collectors, Colin Wood, stock furniture, wall clocks,
and grandfather clocks from the 17th to the early 20th century.
Someone may also want to browse through the eclectic mix of bric-a-brac
antiques at Elizabeth Watts Studio, where items include glass, brass,
antique jewelry, porcelain, silver and some small furniture. For
shopping for gifts in one place, visit Nova, which stocks porcelain, silver
jewelry, rugs, clothing, toys, cards and gift wrap.
Other interesting stores are Grandad’s Attic, which specializes in Art
Deco ceramics and antique pine furniture; Scottish only, retailers of
quality items, all made in Scotland, such as pottery, knitwear,
textiles, silver and jewelry; and Alex Scott & Co. the city of
best kilt manufacturers
Food and drinks
Although Aberdeen is a renowned city, it does not have many
restaurants on offer. Mainly all the offer of restaurants and bars
continental or british/irish/scottish cuisine. some of the famous
The places to eat and drink are:
Education
The first of Aberdeen’s two universities, the University of Aberdeen,
It was founded in 1495 by William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen and
Chancellor of Scotland. The University of Aberdeen is Scotland’s third
oldest and the fifth oldest university in the UK.
Robert Gordon’s College (originally Robert Gordon’s Hospital) was
founded in and in the 1990s became co-educational and single day
school. He also produced the Robert Gordon Institute of Technology,
which became Robert Gordon University in 1992.
Gray’s School of Art, founded in 1886, is one of the oldest established
art colleges in the UK. Aberdeen College has several campuses in
Aberdeen and offers a wide variety of part-time and full-time courses
leading to several different qualifications. The College of the North was a
teacher training college with campuses in Aberdeen and Dundee. In 2000,
Northern College’s Aberdeen campus became the University of
Aberdeen School of Education. Aberdeen Grammar School, (now
comprehensive, despite its name) founded in 1263 and one of the oldest
schools in Great Britain.
Sports
Aberdeen Football Club was founded in 1903. Its greatest success was
winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1983 and three Leagues
Championships between 1980 and 1986. The club’s home ground is Pittodrie
which has the distinction of being Britain’s first single-seater
stadium. Aberdeen FC have the distinction of being the last team to
have won the Scottish Premier League championship away from the Old Firm
and is the only Scottish team to have won two European trophies in the aggregate
to their success in the European Cup Winners’ Cup by winning the European Super Cup
Cup also in 1983. Well-known footballers who have passed through the club
include Gordon Strachan (current Celtic manager), Alex McLeish (current
Rangers manager) and club legend Willie Miller. Denis Law, The Joint
The Scotland national team’s top scorer was also born in the city,
but he spent his professional career playing for English and Italian clubs.
Aberdeen Golf Club was founded in 1815. It has two 18-hole courses in
Balgownie, north of the River Don. There are other golf courses in
Auchmill, Balnagask, Hazlehead and King’s Links.
Tours and sightseeing
The Aberdeen Tourist Information Centre, where staff are often able to
find the right way to visit Aberdeen. Some other organized tours
and travel agencies there are in the city. These trips are organized by
operators and vary in content, theme and price. The tours
mainly present museums, art galleries, Scottish castles, etc.
Hotels and Accommodations
Due to the increase in the number of tourists and business travelers to the
Granite City: Europe’s offshore oil capital and fewer hotels
compared to tourists: hotels are likely to be very booked in any
time of the year. Therefore, advance reservation is essential before stepping on
the city. Some of the hotels in Aberdeen (ranging from affordable to
Luxury) are listed below:
Holiday Inn Aberdeen
Caledonian
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Serviced Suites
Altens
and Suites
House Hotel
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Transportation
There are four main roads serving the city: A90, A96, A93, A92, A90 now
used as a tourist route.
The city’s original bypass, Anderson Drive, which was built in the
1930 has long been involved in the expansion of the city, and it is
inadequate to cope with the current traffic. To do this, a new main
ring road, the Western Peripheral Route, is planned to be diverted through
traffic away from the city center. The road is due to open in 2010.
The city is well served by the national rail network. aberdeen has
regular rail services to Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as long distance
trains to London via Edinburgh. It is possible to take the longest
Scheduled train travel across the UK from Aberdeen. Regular
trains also run north-west to Inverness and north to Dyce for
the airport.
Aberdeen also has an airport in the neighboring town of Dyce, which is
operated by BAA plc. In addition to connecting the city with the rest of the
United Kingdom, Aberdeen Airport (sometimes called Dyce Airport) is the
World’s largest helicopter terminal, serving many North Sea
oil facilities. The IATA airport code for the airport is ABZ.