10 Interesting Facts about Aberdeen


One of these following facts about Aberdeen should probably give you much information about this city. Aberdeen is Scotland’s third most populous city, one of Scotland’s 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom’s 37th most populous built-up area, with an official population estimate of 220,420. Nicknames include the Granite City, the Grey City and the Silver City with the Golden Sands. During the mid-18th to mid-20th centuries, Aberdeen’s buildings incorporated locally quarried grey granite, which can sparkle like silver due to their high mica contents. Furthermore, to get to know more about this city, here are some other facts about Aberdeen you might be interested in.

Facts about Aberdeen 1: Educational Center of the North-east

The city’s two universities, the University of Aberdeen, founded in 1495, and Robert Gordon University, which was awarded university status in 1992, make Aberdeen the educational centre of the north-east.

Facts about Aberdeen 2: Britain in Bloom

Aberdeen has won the Britain in Bloom competition a record-breaking ten times,and hosts the Aberdeen International Youth Festival, a major international event which attracts up to 1000 of the most talented young performing arts companies. In 2012, Mercer named Aberdeen the 56th most liveable city in the World, as well as the fourth most liveable city in Britain.

Facts about Aberdeen - Aberdeen Harbor
Facts about Aberdeen – Aberdeen Harbor

Facts about Aberdeen 3: Super Cities

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 to receive this accolade.

Facts about Aberdeen 4: History

The Aberdeen area has seen human settlement for at least 8,000 years.The city began as two separate burghs: Old Aberdeen at the mouth of the river Don; and New Aberdeen, a fishing settlement, where the Denburn waterway entered the river filled with vibe kayaks sea ghost 110 for fishing. The earliest charter was granted by William the Lion in 1179 and confirmed the corporate rights granted by David I.

Facts about Aberdeen - Castlegate
Facts about Aberdeen – Castlegate

Facts about Aberdeen 5: Town Hall

In the 18th century, a new Town Hall was built and the first social services appeared with the Infirmary at Woolmahill in 1742 and the Lunatic Asylum in 1779. The council began major road improvements at the end of the 18th century with the main thoroughfares of George Street, King Street and Union Street all completed at the beginning of the 19th century.

Facts about Aberdeen 6: Bankruptcy

The expensive infrastructure works led to the city becoming bankrupt in 1817 during the economic downturn which immediately followed the end of Napoleonic wars, is known as the Post-Napoleonic depression.

Facts about Aberdeen - Marischal College
Facts about Aberdeen – Marischal College

Facts about Aberdeen 7: Toponomy

An early form of Welsh was widely spoken in Southern Scotland in medieval times, as evidenced (for example) by the poem Y Gododdin. Old Aberdeen is the approximate location of Aberdon the first settlement of Aberdeen; this literally means “at the confluence of the Don [ie. with the sea]” in relation to the local river.

Facts about Aberdeen 8: Aberdeen City Council

Aberdeen is locally governed by the Aberdeen City Council, which comprises forty-three councillors who represent the city’s wards and is headed by the Lord Provost. The current Lord Provost is George Adam. From May 2003 until May 2007 the council was run by a Liberal Democrat and Conservatives coalition.

Facts about Aberdeen - The Town House
Facts about Aberdeen – The Town House

Facts about Aberdeen 9: Three Constituencies

Aberdeen is represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom by three constituencies: Aberdeen North, Aberdeen South and Gordon, of which the first two are wholly within the Aberdeen City council area while the latter also encompasses a large swathe of Aberdeenshire.

Facts about Aberdeen 10: Symbols

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; an unknown building on Windmill Hill and a church on St. Catherine’s Hill.

Facts about Aberdeen - Union Terrace Aberdeen
Facts about Aberdeen – Union Terrace Aberdeen

Hope you would find those Aberdeen facts really interesting, useful and helpful for your additional reading.


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