Aberdeen In All Its Glory
Aberdeen City
The City of Aberdeen is the third most populous in Scotland, and the United Kingdom’s 29th most populous city in the UK, with an official population estimate of 217,100.
Aberdeen City is also known as
- The Granite City. Aberdeen was from the middle of the 18th Century until around 1971 had a number of working stone quarries. This grey Granite incorporating mica deposits was used for many of the local houses and building both in the local city and much further afield.
- Silver City with the Golden Sands. The mica deposits in Aberdeen’s granite building on sunny day sparkle just like silver whilst the city has a a very long sandy beach coastline.
- Oil Capital of Europe. During the 1970s Aberdeen became the base for oil and Gas companies exploring the rich oil fields in the Nrth sea. However over recent years there has been strong moves to change this to The Energy Capital of Europe
Aberdeen University’s
Aberdeen despite its relatively small size has not just one University but two.
The University of Aberdeen, is the oldest of the two., It was founded in 1495 and the second oldest University in Scotland. The second University in Aberdeen is the Robert Gordon University, which was only granted university status in 1992.
Aberdeen Cathedrals
Aberdeen has three Christian Church Cathedrals in the City centre. Plus a number of other churches as well.
The Cathedrals are
St Machar’s Cathedralwas 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.
The Salvation Army citadel dominates the bottom of Union Street looking right Aberdeen’s main street. Some say it was modelled on Barmoral Castle with its turret watching over the people.
Aberdeen will lead the country out of the recession
In January 2011 Aberdeen was named one of five cities which could help the UK climb its way out of the recession because of its high levels of employment, abundance of skilled workers, and an increase in average weekly earnings. Aberdeen City and Shire was dubbed in the report by officials as the “one to watch” with its rapid growing economy, size and oil reserves.
Aberdeen Culture
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 summary Aberdeen has a lot going for it.
