| Introduction | | | | Martha's Vineyard Bistro/The Courtyard Restaurant |
| Aberdeen (The Granite City) is Scotland's third largest | | | | Silver Darling |
| city. Aberdeenis the chief commercial centre and | | | | Education |
| seaport in the north-east of | | | | The first of Aberdeen's two universities, the |
| Scotland. It boasts the title of Oil Capital of Europe | | | | University of Aberdeen,was founded in 1495 by |
| thanks to theplentiful supply of crude oil in the North | | | | William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen and |
| Sea, and stands on a bay ofthe North Sea, between | | | | Chancellor of Scotland. The University of Aberdeen is |
| the mouths of the rivers Don and Dee. | | | | Scotland's thirdoldest, and the UK's fifth oldest |
| History | | | | University. |
| Aberdeen grew up as two separate burghs - Old | | | | Robert Gordon's College (originally Robert Gordon's |
| Aberdeen at the mouth ofthe Don and New | | | | Hospital) wasfounded in and in the 1990s became |
| Aberdeen, a fishing and trading settlement where the | | | | co-educational and a day-onlyschool. It also produced |
| Denburn entered the Dee estuary. The earliest | | | | the Robert Gordon Institute of Technology,which |
| charter was granted by | | | | became The Robert Gordon University in 1992. |
| King William the Lion about 1179, confirming the | | | | Gray's School of Art, founded in 1886, is one of the |
| corporate rightsgranted by David I. The city received | | | | oldest establishedcolleges of art in the UK. Aberdeen |
| other royal charters later. In | | | | College has several campuses in |
| 1319, the Great Charter of Robert the Bruce | | | | Aberdeen and offers a wide variety of part-time and |
| transformed Aberdeen into aproperty owning and | | | | full-time coursesleading to several different |
| financially independent community. The city | | | | qualifications. Northern College was ateacher training |
| wasburned by Edward III of England in 1336, but was | | | | college with campuses in Aberdeen and Dundee. In |
| soon rebuilt andextended, and called New Aberdeen. | | | | 2000,the Aberdeen campus of Northern College |
| For many centuries the city wassubject to attacks | | | | became the University of |
| by the neighbouring lords, and was stronglyfortified, | | | | Aberdeen School of Education. Aberdeen Grammar |
| but the gates were all removed by 1770. In the 18th | | | | School, (nowcomprehensive, despite its name) |
| centurya new Town Hall was built, elegantly furnished | | | | founded in 1263 and one of the oldestschools in |
| with a marble fireplacefrom Holland and a set of fine | | | | Britain. |
| crystal chandeliers and sconces. The | | | | Sports |
| 19th century was a time of considerable expansion. | | | | Aberdeen Football Club was founded in 1903. Its |
| By 1901 thepopulation was 153,000 and the city | | | | major success waswinning the European Cup Winners |
| covered more than 6,000 acres (24km²). In the | | | | Cup in 1983 and three League |
| late 18th century, the council embarked on a | | | | Championships between 1980 and 1986. The club's |
| schemeof road improvements, and by 1805 George | | | | stadium is Pittodriewhich holds the distinction of being |
| Street, King Street and Union | | | | Britain's first all-seaterstadium. Aberdeen F.C. holds the |
| Street were open, the latter a feat of extraordinary | | | | distinction of being the last team tohave won the |
| engineering skillinvolving the partial levelling of St | | | | Scottish Premier League Championship outside the |
| Catherine's Hill and the buildingof arches to carry the | | | | Old Firmand is the only Scottish team to have won |
| street over Putachieside. The increasingeconomic | | | | two European trophies addingto their European Cup |
| importance of Aberdeen and the development of the | | | | Winners Cup success by winning the European Super |
| shipbuildingand fishing industries brought a need for | | | | Cup also in 1983. Well known footballers who have |
| improved harbour facilities. | | | | played for the clubinclude Gordon Strachan (Current |
| During this century much of the harbour as it exists | | | | Celtic manager), Alex McLeish (Current |
| today was builtincluding Victoria Dock, the South | | | | Rangers manager) and club legend Willie Miller. Denis |
| Breakwater and the extension to the | | | | Law, the jointtop scorer for the Scotland national |
| North Pier. | | | | team was also born in the city,but spent his |
| Places of interest | | | | professional career playing for English and Italian clubs. |
| The main places of interest for the tourists in | | | | Aberdeen Golf Club was founded in 1815. It has two |
| Aberdeen are themuseums, art galleries and the | | | | 18-hole courses at |
| Scotland's castle trails. Here is a listof interesting | | | | Balgownie, north of the River Don. There are other |
| places in Aberdeen: | | | | golf courses at |
| Aberdeen Art Gallery | | | | Auchmill, Balnagask, Hazlehead and King's Links. |
| Aberdeen Maritime Museum | | | | Tours and Sightseeing |
| Castle Fraser | | | | The Aberdeen Tourist Information Centre, where the |
| Craigievar Castle | | | | staff can usuallyfind just the right way to visit |
| Crathes Castle & Gardens | | | | Aberdeen. Some other organized toursand travel |
| Dunnottar Castle | | | | agencies are there in the city. These tours are |
| Fyvie Castle | | | | organized bythe operators and vary from its |
| Provost Skene House | | | | contents, theme and price. The toursmainly feature |
| Museums and Art Galleries | | | | the museums, art galleries, Scottish Castles etc. |
| The city is blessed with amenities which cover a wide | | | | Hotels and Accommodations |
| range of culturalactivities and boasts a selection of | | | | Because of increasing numbers of tourists and |
| museums. The Aberdeen Art Galleryhouses a | | | | business travelers to the |
| collection of Impressionist, Victorian, Scottish and | | | | Granite City -- Europe's offshore oil capital and less |
| 20th | | | | number of hotelscompare with tourists -- hotels are |
| Century British paintings as well as collections of silver | | | | likely to be heavily booked anytime of year. So |
| and glass. | | | | reservation in advance is a must before stepping |
| It also includes The Alexander Macdonald Bequest, a | | | | tothe city. Some of the Hotels in Aberdeen (ranging |
| collection of late | | | | from Affordable to |
| 19th century works donated by the museum's first | | | | Luxury) are listed below: |
| benefactor and aconstantly changing collection of | | | | Antrim Guest House |
| contemporary work and regularvisiting exhibitions. | | | | Station Hotel |
| Some of the other Aberdeen's museums and | | | | Royal Hotel |
| artgalleries are: | | | | Express by |
| Aberdeen Art Gallery | | | | Holiday Inn Aberdeen |
| Aberdeen Maritime Museum | | | | Thistle Aberdeen |
| Provost Ross' House | | | | Caledonian |
| The Gordon Highlanders Museum | | | | Copthorne Hotel |
| Marischal Museum | | | | Aberdeen |
| James Dun's House | | | | The Edwardian Hotel |
| Museum of Education Victorian Classroom | | | | Bimini Guest House |
| Tolbooth Museum | | | | The Spires |
| Aberdeen Arts Centre | | | | Serviced Suites |
| His Majesty's Theatre 1906 (presently -2005- under | | | | Thistle Aberdeen |
| renovation) is afine granite theatre which provides a | | | | Altens |
| home for popular entertainments. | | | | Summerhill Hoteland Suites |
| Shopping | | | | Macdonald Ardoe |
| The main shopping districts center on specialty shops | | | | House Hotel |
| on Chapel and | | | | Britannia Hotel |
| Thistle streets and the well-known chains on George | | | | Aberdeen |
| and Union streets. | | | | Waterwheel Inn |
| Of interest to collectors, Colin Wood, stocks | | | | Dyce Skean Dhu |
| furniture, wall clocks,and grandfather clocks from the | | | | Transport |
| 17th to the early 20th centuries. | | | | There are four main roads serving the city: A90, |
| Someone may also want to browse through the | | | | A96, A93, A92, A90 nowused as a tourist route. |
| eclectic mix of bric-a-bracantiques at Elizabeth Watts | | | | The city's original ring road, Anderson Drive, which |
| Studio, where items include glass, brass,antique | | | | was built in the |
| jewelry, china, silver, and a few small furniture pieces. | | | | 1930s has long since been engulfed by the expansion |
| Forone-stop gift shopping, drop in at Nova, which | | | | of the city, and isinadequate for dealing with today's |
| stocks china, silverjewelry, rugs, clothing, toys, cards, | | | | traffic. To this end, a new mainbypass road, the |
| and gift paper. | | | | Western Peripheral Route, is planned to divert |
| Other interesting shops are Grandad's Attic, which | | | | throughtraffic away from the city centre. The road is |
| specializes in Art | | | | due to open in 2010. |
| Deco ceramics and antique pine furniture; Just | | | | The city is well served by the national railway |
| Scottish, retailers ofquality items -- all made in | | | | network. Aberdeen hasregular rail services to |
| Scotland, including ceramics, knitwear,textiles, silver, | | | | Glasgow and Edinburgh as well as long distancetrains |
| and jewelry; and Alex Scott & Co. the | | | | to London via Edinburgh. It is possible to take the |
| town'sfinest kiltmakers. | | | | longestscheduled rail journey in the whole of the UK |
| Food and Drinks | | | | from Aberdeen. Regulartrains also run north westerly |
| Although Aberdeen is a well renowned city, it does | | | | towards Inverness and north to Dyce forthe airport. |
| not have manyrestaurants in offer. Mainly all the | | | | Aberdeen also has an airport in the neighbouring |
| restaurants and bars offercontinental or British/Irish | | | | town of Dyce, which isoperated by BAA plc. As well |
| Scottish cuisine. Some of the famousplaces for wine | | | | as connecting the city to the rest of the |
| and dine are: | | | | UK, Aberdeen Airport (sometimes refererred to as |
| Elrond's Cafe Bar | | | | Dyce Airport) is thelargest helicopter terminal in the |
| Ferryhill House | | | | world, serving the many North Seaoil installations. The |
| Howies Aberdeen | | | | IATA airport code for the airport is ABZ. |