Aberdeen
From World travel guide
Aberdeen (Scottish Gaelic: Obar Dheathain) is Scotland's third largest city, with a population of 212,125. Aberdeen is the county town of Aberdeenshire, and the chief seaport in the north-east of Scotland.
Aberdeen is commonly referred to variously as "the Granite City", on account of the main building stone used in older buildings in the city, and the "Flower of Scotland", Aberdeen long having been famous for outstanding parks, gardens and floral displays.
These days, Aberdeen also boasts the title of Oil Capital of Europe thanks to the supply of crude oil in the North Sea, and stands on a bay of the North Sea, between the mouths of the rivers Don and Dee.
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Understand
Aberdeen is a relatively small city. It has a harbour and pleasant beach. It has a distinct identity from other Scottish cities, especially the two largest in the Central Belt. It has some of the oldest university buildings in Europe (King's College was founded in 1495). It's nickname of The Granite City is well deserved as nearly all the buildings in the centre are made of the grey, occasionally sparkling stuff.
The local dialect is Doric, very different from Lowland Scots or Gaelic. At first hearing it (and the distinctive accent) is utterly impenetrable, even to other Scots. It has its origins in the farming communities nearby and is not as spoken as widely as it used to be.
Get in
By plane
Aberdeen International Airport is situated 7 miles from the city centre in Dyce. The airport offers a wide range of domestic and some international flights. The following airlines operate out of Aberdeen:
For domestic flights
- BMI, [1]. Flights to London Heathrow, Manchester, Norwich and Stornoway.
- British Airways, [2]. Flights to Birmingham, Bristol, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester and Southampton.
- City Star Airlines, [3]. Flights to Blackpool.
- Easyjet, [4]. Flights to London Luton.
- FlyBe], [5]. Flights to Belfast International, Birmingham, Exeter and Southampton
- Loganair, [6]. Operating under a franchise agreement with British Airways, with flights to the Scottish islands, and Derry in Northern Ireland. Flights can be booked through British Airways.
For international flights
- Air France, [7]. Daily service to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
- Atlantic Airways, [8]. Flights to the Faroe Islands.
- BMI Regional, [9]. Flights to Esbjerg in Denmark and Groningen in the Netherlands.
- City Star Airlines, [10]. Flights to Oslo.
- KLM, [11]. Thrice daily service to Amsterdam.
- Ryanair, [12]. Regular services to Dublin.
- SAS, [13]. Flights to Copenhagen.
- Wideroe, [14]. Flights to Bergen and Stavanger.
Buses run from the airport to the city centre throughout the day. The nearest railway station is Dyce, and connects to stations in Aberdeen and Inverness. Taxis are available outside the terminal and will cost around £20 to Aberdeen City Centre.
By train
Aberdeen Station is located right in the middle of town, next to the Harbour and Bus Station, slightly down from Union Street, the main thoroughfare. Services come from the South via Perth and the North to Elgin, Inverness and similar places.
By boat
Ferries arrive at Aberdeen harbour from Lerwick, Kirkwall and other places.
By road
Aberdeen lies halfway along the long A90 arterial road that hugs the eastern, North Sea coast of Scotland between Dundee and Peterhead.
From Aberdeen, the A96 runs roughly north-west over the Gordon Highlands to Elgin and Inverness.
Get around
See
Landmarks
- the University of Aberdeen [15]
Museums and Galleries
- Aberdeen Art Gallery [16]
- the Gordon Highlanders Museum [17], St Lukes Viewfield Road, tel 01224 311200, mailto:museum@gordonhighlanders.com, open 1st Tu in April to last Su in October, Tu-Sa 10.30am-4.30pm, Su 1.30pm-4.30pm (last admission 4pm), closed Mo; November - March open by appointment only; admission adults £2.50, seniors £1.50, children £1.00, closed season £3.50 - at the Gordon Highlanders Museum you can re-live the compelling and dramatic story of one of the British Army's most famous regiments, through the lives of its outstanding personalities and of the kilted soldiers of the North East of Scotland who filled its ranks.
Do
The nearest Aberdeen has to a Bohemian Quarter is centred around Belmont Street, halfway down Union St. It has a couple of nice cafe / bars and an arthouse cinema.
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Get out
External links
- Aberdeen and the Grampians Tourist Board
- Aberdeen City Council - official local government web site
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