106-449: Aberdeen Harbour , rebranded as the Port of Aberdeen in 2022, is a sea port located in the city of Aberdeen on the east coast of Scotland . The port was first established in 1136 and has been continually redeveloped over the centuries to provide a base for significant fishing and ship building industries. Since the 1970s it has provided support to the offshore oil and gas industry operating in
212-457: A bar at the harbour entrance and to direct the flow of deposits from the River Dee into the tidal current and away from the harbour. The pier was constructed from rubble masonry with ashlar facing block and was 457 metres (500 yd; 1,499 ft) long, 9.1 metres (10.0 yd; 30 ft) wide and 4.6 metres (5.0 yd; 15 ft) high above the high-water level. The works were overseen by
318-454: A charter dating from 1281, which indicates that a bulwark ran southwards from the bottom of Shiprow. It is thought that this may be the 'Old Pier' which appears on a 1773 plan of Aberdeen. Later in 1339, records mention the 'quay of Aberdeen', which was repaired in 1453 and either repaired or rebuilt during 1484. The Shore Porters Society , one of the UK's oldest companies , was created to service
424-547: A downturn in work. The yard was acquired by A&P Appledore in 1989 but business did not improve. The last vessel to be built at the yard and in Aberdeen was cargo-liner RMS St Helena which was completed in 1990, bring over 200 years of shipbuilding in Aberdeen to an end. The yard carried out repair work until its closure in 1992. The site was redeveloped to create the Telford Dock, which provided five new deep-water berths,
530-808: A jetty, two transit sheds and 26,000sqm of heavy-duty paved open storage. The dock's quays were each named after Aberdeen's shipbuilders, except for the Clipper Quay which relates to the bow design invented in the city. The Port of Aberdeen has six docks, each with several quays and berths as described below. Albert Basin River Dee Telford Dock Tidal Harbour Upper Dock Aberdeen Aberdeen ( / ˌ æ b ər ˈ d iː n / AB -ər- DEEN ; locally [ˌeːbərˈdin] or [ˈeːbərdin] ; Scottish Gaelic : Obar Dheathain [ˈopəɾ ˈʝɛ.ɪɲ] )
636-458: A leading business hub and one of eight 'super cities' spearheading the UK's economy, marking it as the only city in Scotland so designated. In 2018, Aberdeen was found to be the best city in the UK to start a business in a study released by card payment firm Paymentsense. The Aberdeen area has seen human settlement for at least 8,000 years. The city began as two separate burghs : Old Aberdeen at
742-662: A memorial to the consecration of the first bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America , which took place nearby. In 1804, St Peter's Church , the first permanent Roman Catholic church in the city after the Reformation was built. Numerous other Protestant denominations have a presence in Aberdeen. The Salvation Army citadel on the Castlegate dominates the view of the east end of Union Street. In addition, there
848-468: A mixture of 127 Incendiary, High Explosive and Cluster bombs were dropped on the city in one night. Two books written in 2018 and 2022 using bombing records held in London identified that unexploded bombs from the 1943 raid were found in the 1950s and 1980s making the bombs dropped 129 in total. Damage from the raid can still be seen in some parts of Aberdeen. The name given to Aberdeen translates as 'mouth of
954-504: A new February high-temperature station record on 28 February 2012 of 17.2 °C (63.0 °F), and a new March high temperature record of 21.6 °C (70.9 °F) on 25 March 2012. The average temperature of the sea ranges from 6.6 °C (43.9 °F) in March to 13.8 °C (56.8 °F) in August. The Aberdeen locality population estimate is 198,590 (mid-2020 est.). For
1060-679: A new Town Hall was built and the first social services appeared with the Aberdeen Infirmary at Woolmanhill in 1739 and the Aberdeen Lunatic Asylum in 1800. The expensive infrastructure works led to the city becoming bankrupt in 1817 during the Post-Napoleonic depression , an economic downturn immediately after the Napoleonic Wars ; but the city's prosperity later recovered. The increasing economic importance of Aberdeen and
1166-412: A new harbour at Nigg Bay to the south of the existing harbour. The £350 million project is the largest marine infrastructure project in the UK and when complete will be the largest port in terms of available berths in Scotland, capable of accommodating vessels up to 300m in length. Four new quays are under construction, the 300m-long Balmoral Quay, the 400m-long Dunnottar Quay, the 175m-long Crathes Quay and
SECTION 10
#17328580758761272-412: A number of issues which could make navigation into the port difficult. Coastal currents and northerly winds would often allow a sandbank to form at the mouth of the river, leaving a water depth of only a few feet. The tidal area did not have any protection from easterly storms, and the channel leading to the town was shallow and obstructed. The first known improvements to address these issues are recorded in
1378-578: Is a Unitarian church, established in 1833 and located in Skene Terrace. Christadelphians have been present in Aberdeen since at least 1844. Over the years, they have rented space to meet at a number of locations and currently meet in the Inchgarth Community Centre in Garthdee. There is also a Quaker meetinghouse on Crown Street, the only purpose built Friends meeting house in Scotland that
1484-463: Is a city in North East Scotland , and is the third most populous Scottish city . Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeenshire , but is now separate from the council area of Aberdeenshire . Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City ), and has a population of 198,590 (mid-2020 est.) for the urban area, making it
1590-403: Is a higher percentage than both Glasgow and Edinburgh . In the household, there were 97,013 individual dwellings recorded in the city, of which 61% were privately owned, 9% privately rented and 23% rented from the council. The most popular type of dwellings are apartments which comprise 49% of residences followed by semi-detached at just below 22%. The median income of a household in the city
1696-531: Is also a Thai Buddhist temple located in the Hazelhead area of the city. There are no formal Hindu buildings, although there is a fortnightly Hindu religious gathering on the first and third Sunday afternoons at Queens Cross Parish church hall. The University of Aberdeen has a small Baháʼí society. Traditionally, Aberdeen was home to fishing, textile mills, shipbuilding and paper-making. These industries have been largely replaced. High technology developments in
1802-461: Is considered to have produced some of the finest sailing ships built in Aberdeen, including the clipper Thermopylae , which was built for the Aberdeen Line and launched in 1868. The yard never manufactured engines and with propeller-driven vessels becoming increasingly popular the yard became unable to compete, leading to a merger with Alexander Hall and Sons in 1871. The first Duthie Shipyard
1908-399: Is further north than almost all of Denmark and plenty of southern Sweden, being just south of Gothenburg in terms of latitude. Aberdeen features an oceanic climate ( Köppen Cfb ), with far milder winter temperatures than one might expect for its northern location. However, statistically speaking, it is still the coldest city in the UK. During the winter, especially throughout December,
2014-417: Is interest in the development of new energy sources, and technology transfer from oil into renewable energy and other industries is underway. The "Energetica" initiative led by Scottish Enterprise has been designed to accelerate this process. Aberdeen has become a major world centre for undersea petroleum technology. Shiprow Shiprow is a historic street in the heart of Aberdeen , Scotland , near
2120-649: Is represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom by two constituencies , Aberdeen North and Aberdeen South , which are wholly within the Aberdeen City council area. In the Scottish Parliament , the city is represented by three constituencies with different boundaries: Aberdeen Central and Aberdeen Donside are wholly within the Aberdeen City council area. Aberdeen South and North Kincardine includes
2226-553: Is still in use today. In addition, there are a number of Baptist congregations in the city, and Evangelical congregations have been appearing in significant numbers since the late 2000s. The city also has two meeting houses of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). There are also four mosques in Aberdeen which serve the Islamic community in the city. There is an Orthodox Jewish Synagogue established in 1945. There
SECTION 20
#17328580758762332-516: Is the UK's oldest business, since 1136. A port has existed at Aberdeen since at least the 12th century, with the first recorded reference being from 1136, when King David I of Scotland permitted the Bishops of Aberdeen the right to charge a tithe on all vessels visiting the port. Located on the estuary of the River Dee , the area initially comprised sandbanks and waterlogged marshes . At that time
2438-411: Is £16,813 (the mean income is £20,292) (2005) which places approximately 18% households in the city below the poverty line (defined as 60% of the mean income). Conversely, an Aberdeen postcode has the second highest number of millionaires of any postcode in the UK. The proportion of people residing in Aberdeen born outside the UK was 21.1% in 2022, compared with 15.9% in 2011 and 6.3% in 2001. Below are
2544-520: The First World War generating demand, it built its first vessel in 1917, going on to specialise in cargo and fishing vessels. It constructed the last Aberdeen-built sailing ship, the sail-training schooner Malcolm Miller , in 1967. The yard was purchased by Wood Group in 1972 and its activities moved towards ship repair. Hall, Russell & Company was established in 1864. It built a wide range of fishing boats, cargo steamers and trawlers. During
2650-572: The North Sea and it is the main commercial port in the north east of Scotland. The Port of Aberdeen is the largest port in Scotland (by berthage and area) and the busiest port via vessel visits in Scotland also. In 2023, the Port of Aberdeen opened South Harbour. This £420million extension added 1.5km of deep water berthage to support cruise ships, cargo vessels and the Offshore wind sector. Port of Aberdeen
2756-450: The harbour . Formerly the Shiprow sloped upward more gradually than it does now, and it crossed Union Street in a depression between St Catherine's Hill on the west and Castle Street, once high uneven ground, on the east. That the Shiprow has been made up several feet can be seen by a house at the end of Exchequer Row, and it crossed Union Street and entered Broad Street at a lower level than
2862-570: The oil industry and Aberdeen's seaport. Aberdeen Heliport is one of the busiest commercial heliports in the world, and the seaport is the largest in the north-east part of Scotland. A university town , the city is known for the University of Aberdeen , founded in 1495 as the fifth oldest university in the English-speaking world and located in Old Aberdeen . In 2012, HSBC named Aberdeen as
2968-584: The 'Aberdeen' or 'clipper' bow in 1839. It also built steam ships, one of the most famous being the Jho Sho Maru which was built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the 1860s. The yard failed to modernise and was acquired by Aberdeen-based Hall, Russell & Company in 1957. The Walter Hood & Co. shipyard opened in 1839 and was located adjacent to Pocra jetty, east of the Hall Russell yard. It
3074-716: The 14th century. Provost Ross's house , dating from 1593 and the second oldest house in the city, is located here. Since 1981, it has housed part of the Aberdeen Maritime Museum . Shiprow has changed dramatically in the last few years and now houses, alongside the Maritime Museum , the City Wharf office development, PureGym , Hotel Ibis, Lane7 Bowling Alley and Vue Cinema . 57°08′48″N 2°05′40″W / 57.14675°N 2.09457°W / 57.14675; -2.09457 This Aberdeen location article
3180-516: The 1950s as they were replaced by motor powered boats which had become more affordable and efficient. By the 1960s, Aberdeen was established as the primary whitefish port in Scotland and after Hull and Grimsby one of the main trawler ports in the UK. The Aberdeen fleet consisted of a mixture of middle-distance trawlers embarking on sixteen-day trips to the seas around the Faroe Islands and smaller vessels known as Aberdeen scratchers, which operated in
3286-501: The 19th century, Aberdeen's fishing industry was relatively small compared to other settlements in the north east of Scotland (such as Peterhead ) and had focused largely on river and salmon fishing. The traditional fishing fleets of Torry and Footdee also used line-fishing to catch white fish in the North Sea. In 1835, a herring fishing station was set up at the harbour, with Aberdeen's herring fleet bringing significant prosperity to
Aberdeen Harbour - Misplaced Pages Continue
3392-470: The 19th century. The late 1960s and early 1970s saw investment from central government to allow the reconstruction of Mearns Quay, 180 metres (600 ft) of Commercial Quay and part of the fish-market. The Victoria Dock was redeveloped and the tide locks at Waterloo Quay were removed in 1975, resulting in the whole harbour again becoming tidal, with dredging occurring as necessary to maintain the required depths. Other offshore supply bases were established and
3498-477: The 20th century. Catches have fallen because of overfishing and the use of the harbour by oil support vessels, and so although still an important fishing port it is now eclipsed by the more northerly ports of Peterhead and Fraserburgh . The Fisheries Research Services are headquartered in Aberdeen, and there is a marine research laboratory there. Aberdeen is well regarded for the agricultural and soil research carried out at The James Hutton Institute (formerly
3604-424: The 540m-long Castlegate Quay. The new harbour is expected to create an additional 7,000 jobs and add £1 billion annually to the economy by 2035. In May 2022, the harbour was rebranded from Aberdeen Harbour to Port of Aberdeen. The new name encompasses both the new south harbour as well as the original harbour which since the development of the new harbour has sometimes been known as the north harbour . The rebranding
3710-729: The East and West churches. At that time, the city also was home to houses of the Carmelites (Whitefriars) and Franciscans (Greyfriars). The latter survives in modified form as the chapel of Marischal College. St Machar's Cathedral was built twenty years after David I (1124–1153) transferred the pre-Reformation diocese from Mortlach in Banffshire to Old Aberdeen in 1137. Except the episcopate of William Elphinstone (1484–1511), building progressed slowly. Gavin Dunbar , who followed him in 1518, completed
3816-505: The English-held Aberdeen Castle before destroying it in 1308. It is still widely present in the city, throughout street names, business names and the city's Bon Accord shopping mall. The shield in the coat of arms is supported by two leopards . A local magazine is called the "Leopard" and, when Union Bridge was widened in the 20th century, small statues of the creature in a sitting position were cast and placed on top of
3922-516: The First World War, the yard constructed minesweeper trawlers and during the Second World War contributed to the war effort by producing Flower- class corvettes , frigates and other naval vessels. Post-war, Hall Russell constructed trawlers and cargo ships, including the freighter Thameshaven in 1971, which was Aberdeen's largest ever vessel with a deadweight of 10,500 tonnes. In 1977,
4028-577: The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute), which has close links to the city's two universities. The Rowett Research Institute is a world-renowned research centre for studies into food and nutrition located in Aberdeen. It has produced three Nobel laureates and there is a high concentration of life scientists working in the city. As oil reserves in the North Sea decrease, there is an effort to rebrand Aberdeen as "Energy Capital of Europe" rather than "Oil Capital of Europe", and there
4134-637: The North Kincardine ward of Aberdeenshire Council . A further seven MSPs are elected as part of the North East Scotland electoral region. In the European Parliament the city was represented by six MEPs as part of the all-inclusive Scotland constituency. The arms and banner of the city show three silver towers on red. This motif dates from at least the time of Robert the Bruce and represents
4240-458: The North Sea and off the west coast of Scotland. The fleet also comprised around thirty larger great-line boats, which would typically be at sea for up to 28 days and fished in deeper waters, predominately for halibut. Although several local owners invested in new stern trawlers, by the late 1960s, Aberdeen was facing economic decline with an ageing fishing fleet rapidly reducing in size and the ship building industry also declining. In 1978 Aberdeen
4346-471: The River Dee. The layout of the modern harbour, as it largely remains today, can be traced back to around 1770, when planning for extensive development begun. Civil engineer John Smeaton oversaw the construction of a breakwater (which became known as the North Pier) between 1775 and 1781 at Sandness (now known as Footdee or locally as Fittie ). The purpose of the breakwater was to prevent sand creating
Aberdeen Harbour - Misplaced Pages Continue
4452-547: The United Kingdom's 39th most populous built-up area , and 224,190 (2022) for the wider council area including outlying localities. The city is 127 mi (204 km) northeast of Edinburgh and 536 mi (863 km) north of London . Aberdeen has a long, sandy coastline and features an oceanic climate , with cool summers and mild, rainy winters. During the mid-18th to mid-20th centuries, Aberdeen's buildings incorporated locally quarried grey granite , which may sparkle like silver because of its high mica content. Since
4558-560: The adjoining Marischal College . The civic head and chair of the council is the Lord Provost . The council area is also divided into 30 community council areas , 29 of which had community councils operating as at August 2024. The first burgh of Aberdeen, covering just the New Aberdeen area near the mouth of the Dee, was created by David I (reigned 1124–1153). Neighbouring Old Aberdeen to
4664-544: The basis for the city's Common Good Fund which still benefits Aberdonians. During the Wars of Scottish Independence , Aberdeen was under English rule, so Robert the Bruce laid siege to Aberdeen Castle before destroying it in 1308, followed by executing the English garrison. The city was burned by Edward III of England in 1336, but was rebuilt and extended. The city was strongly fortified to prevent attacks by neighbouring lords, but
4770-448: The buildings that stood on the three hills of medieval Aberdeen: Aberdeen Castle on Castle Hill (today's Castlegate ); the city gate on Port Hill; and a church on St Catherine's Hill (now levelled). "Bon Accord" is the motto of the city and is French for "Good Agreement". Legend tells that its use dates from a password used by Robert the Bruce during the 14th century Wars of Scottish Independence , when he and his men laid siege to
4876-446: The bulwark, pier, shore and harbour. In an attempt to address the problem of the sandbank, a bulwark known as the 'South Pier' was constructed in 1609 on the south side of the harbour entrance. It was formed from a drystone construction with timber stakes and positioned so that it would deflect the current of the river northwards, washing away the sandbank. However, the bank continued to cause problems, with water backing up and flowing over
4982-457: The catch with their crew. To support the fishing industry several related industries prospered in the city, including the fish market, fish processing and ship building. The fish processing industry was dominated by women who cured , gutted and packed fish, typically in teams of three, with one team for each boat. A dry dock for the repair and maintenance of steamships was opened in January 1885 at
5088-410: The channel and more repairs to the quayside in 1512 and 1526. The work of 1526 specified cut stone, suggesting that the earlier quay may have been constructed from rough drystone masonry and timber. The port's first cargo-handling crane was erected in 1582. During 1595 King James VI issued a charter to raise funding for improvements, with considerable work thereafter being undertaken, including repair of
5194-589: The city spread beyond the (inferred) limits of the outlier onto the surrounding metamorphic/ igneous complexes formed during the Dalradian period (approximately 480–600 million years ago) with sporadic areas of igneous Diorite granites to be found, such as that at the Rubislaw quarry which was used to build much of the Victorian parts of the city. The city extends to 186 km (72 sq mi), and includes
5300-459: The city to see the dozens of sailing ships taking part in the race. The event included a fire works display launched from the North Pier. The second visit of the race during 1997 saw attracted 558,000 visitors. As a result of a declining fishing industry in Aberdeen, market sales of fish ended in the mid-1990s. The fish market at Commercial Quay was demolished between 2006 and 2007, 118 years after
5406-515: The city was plundered by both sides. In 1644, it was taken and ransacked by Royalist troops after the Battle of Aberdeen and two years later it was stormed by a Royalist force under the command of the George Gordon, 2nd Marquis of Huntly . An outbreak of bubonic plague over 1687 and 1688 killed 8.5% of the population, adding to the economic and demographic damage caused by war. In the 18th century,
SECTION 50
#17328580758765512-630: The city, with paper having been first made there in 1694. Paper-making has reduced in importance since the closures of Donside Paper Mill in 2001 and the Davidson Mill in 2005 leaving the Stoneywood Paper Mill with a workforce of approximately 500. Textile production ended in 2004 when Richards of Aberdeen closed. Grey granite was quarried at Rubislaw quarry for more than 300 years, and used for paving setts, kerb and building stones, and monumental and other ornamental pieces. Aberdeen granite
5618-412: The city. More efficient methods of fishing were introduced, with nets rather than lines being used to take advantage of herring shoals . A railway line to Aberdeen was opened in 1850, which allowed overnight fish trains to operate from the city to Billingsgate Fish Market in London. One of the most important changes during the harbour's history took place between 1843 and 1848, when the docks onto which
5724-537: The composition of the local council, and the affairs of the town. The Burgesses of the Guild were an integral part of the council for more than 700 years and played a considerable role in the growth and development of Aberdeen. In 1319, the Great Charter of Robert the Bruce transformed Aberdeen into a property-owning and financially independent community. Granted with it was the nearby Forest of Stocket, whose income formed
5830-448: The construction of the North Pier and South Breakwater, Abernethy considered it necessary to provide a navigational aid to assist vessels entering the harbour. As a solution, a pair of leading lights were constructed in Torry on the south shore of the River Dee. They were completed in 1842 and took the form of two cast iron tapering, octagonal-plan towers around 12 metres (39 ft). Prior to
5936-459: The counties of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire . Aberdeen was made a county of itself in 1899. In 1975 the burgh was replaced by the larger City of Aberdeen district within the Grampian region. Further local government reforms in 1996 replaced the districts and regions created in 1975 with council areas; the pre-1996 City of Aberdeen district became the Aberdeen City council area. Aberdeen
6042-457: The demolition of much of Old Torry on the south side of the river, the separate burgh being incorporated into the City of Aberdeen during 1891. The Albert Basin became the centre of the port's fishing industry, being home from 1889 to a covered fish market located at Commercial Quay which could accommodate several hundred vessels. Steam trawlers were introduced to the Aberdeen fishing fleet in 1882,
6148-536: The development of the shipbuilding and fishing industries led to the construction of the present harbour including Victoria Dock and the South Breakwater, and the extension of the North Pier. Gas street lighting arrived in 1824 and an enhanced water supply appeared in 1830 when water was pumped from the Dee to a reservoir in Union Place. An underground sewer system replaced open sewers in 1865. The city absorbed
6254-519: The discovery of North Sea oil in 1969, Aberdeen has been known as the offshore oil capital of Europe. Based upon the discovery of prehistoric villages around the mouths of the rivers Dee and Don , the area around Aberdeen has been thought to have been settled for at least 6,000 years. Aberdeen received royal burgh status from David I of Scotland (1124–1153), which transformed the city economically. The traditional industries of fishing, paper-making, shipbuilding, and textiles have been overtaken by
6360-540: The east end of the Albert Basin. Known as Pacific Wharf, the dry dock operated until 1915. It was demolished between 1924 and 1927 to allow for an extension to the fish market. The North Pier was extended for a third and final time between 1874 and 1877, under the Aberdeen Harbour Act 1868 ( 31 & 32 Vict. c. cxxxviii) which authorise wider improvement works. A further 152.3 metres (500 ft; 166.6 yd)
6466-402: The electronics design and development industry, research in agriculture and fishing and the oil industry , which have been largely responsible for Aberdeen's economic growth, are now major parts of Aberdeen's economy. Until the 1970s, most of Aberdeen's leading industries dated from the 18th century; mainly these were textiles, foundry work, shipbuilding and paper-making, the oldest industry in
SECTION 60
#17328580758766572-439: The entire night. Temperatures at this time of year hover around 17.0 °C (62.6 °F) during the day in most of the urban area, though nearer 16.0 °C (60.8 °F) directly on the coast, and around 18.0 to 19.0 °C (64.4 to 66.2 °F) in the westernmost suburbs. Two weather stations collect climate data for the area, Aberdeen/Dyce Airport , and Craibstone. Both are about 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (7 km) to
6678-502: The exception of the wet dock (of which only the quay-walls had been constructed), all these works were recorded as being complete by 1829. During the early 19th century, other major projects included the construction of wharfs along the length of Waterloo and Regent Quays and the creation of what at the time was called the South Breakwater, but now known as the Inner or Old South Breakwater. It extended 243.8 metres (266.6 yd; 800 ft) from
6784-633: The fifteen largest overseas-born groups in Aberdeen according to the 2022 census, alongside the two previous censuses. Christianity is the main religion practised in the city. Aberdeen's largest denominations are the Church of Scotland (through the Presbytery of Aberdeen ) and the Roman Catholic Church , both with numerous churches across the city, with the Scottish Episcopal Church having
6890-458: The first being converted Tyneside-built tugboat the Toiler. Steam powered vessels were larger and faster than sailing ships and by 1912 over 230 steam trawlers were based in Aberdeen. Due to the higher cost of steam trawlers, fishing became increasingly more commercialised, with boats being operated by companies who paid their crews a wage, rather than family businesses who would share the value of
6996-564: The first covered market was established at the harbour. By 2015, it was estimated that the harbour generated approximately £1.5 billion ( gross value added ) and 12,260 jobs for the Scottish economy. This included £1.4 billion (GVA) and 9,565 jobs for the Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire economies. A £36m project to infill the River Dee Dock and create four new berths along the River Dee was completed in 2016. In May 2017, construction started on
7102-605: The first settlement of Aberdeen; this literally means "the mouth of the Don". The Celtic word aber means "river mouth", as in modern Welsh ( Aberystwyth , Aberdare , Aberbeeg etc.). The Scottish Gaelic name is Obar Dheathain (variation: Obairreadhain ; * obar presumably being a loan from the earlier Pictish; the Gaelic term is inbhir ), and in Latin , the Romans referred to
7208-452: The former burghs of Old Aberdeen, New Aberdeen, Woodside and the Torry area to the south of River Dee . In 2022, this gave the city a population density of 1,208 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,130/sq mi). The city is built on many hills, with the original beginnings of the city growing from Castle Hill, St. Catherine's Hill and Windmill Hill. When compared to mainland Europe, Aberdeen
7314-582: The gates were removed by 1770. Aberdeen's medieval council registers survive from 1398 onwards and are exceptional for their quantity and continuity among surviving Scottish burgh records. The earliest eight volumes, from 1398 to 1511, have been included in the UNESCO UK Memory of the World Register , and have been edited in a digital edition. During the Wars of the Three Kingdoms of 1644 to 1647
7420-411: The harbour in 1498. It was established as a co-operative to provide transportation of goods to the centre of Aberdeen for a fixed rate. The establishment of trade links with ports in Scandinavia and the Baltic states resulted in improvements being made at the port during the Tudor period . This included the installation of beacons at the entrance to the harbour, the clearance of obstructions from
7526-431: The harbour in 1802. This included work to extend the North Pier to 610 metres (670 yd; 2,000 ft) to a point which terminated amongst rocks which had resulted in at least five shipwrecks. Work to the pier was completed in 1816 at a cost of £16,000. Improvements also involved the construction of a wet dock and spillway , and the diversion of the River Dee, all overseen by resident harbour engineer John Gibb . With
7632-532: The harbour went through a period of significant redevelopment to become the primary port in Europe to serve the offshore oil and gas industry. In 1984, Mearns Quay was extended westwards into the River Dee Dock through the use of steel sheet piling . During the 1990s, the harbour was host to the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race on two occasions. The first visit, during 1991 saw more than 310,000 people visited
7738-407: The harbour's engineer John Gwyn and cost £16,000. In 1789, it was found necessary to narrow the navigation-channel to limit waves generated by the presence of the new north pier, with it being considered that the pier had been sited too far to the north. The Abercrombie Jetty (also known as the 'Catch Pier') was therefore constructed. Civil engineer Thomas Telford recommended several improvements to
7844-423: The length of the day is very short, averaging 6 hours and 41 minutes between sunrise and sunset at the winter solstice. As winter progresses, the length of the day grows fairly quickly, to 8 hours and 20 minutes by the end of January. Around summer solstice, the days will be around 18 hours long, having 17 hours and 55 minutes between sunrise and sunset. During this time of the year marginal nautical twilight lasts
7950-522: The mouth of the river Don ; and New Aberdeen, a fishing and trading settlement, where the Denburn waterway entered the river Dee estuary. The earliest charter was granted by William the Lion in 1179 and confirmed the corporate rights granted by David I . In 1214, Aberdeen Burgesses were granted a Royal Charter by Alexander II of Scotland giving them the sole right to form a Guild. This body exercised power in
8056-505: The national average of 19.2%. According to the 2011 census Aberdeen is 91.9% white, ethnically, 24.7% were born outside Scotland, higher than the national average of 16%. Of this population, 7.6% were born in other parts of the UK. 8.2% of Aberdonians stated to be from an ethnic minority (non-white) in the 2011 census, with 9,519 (4.3%) being Asian, with 3,385 (1.5%) coming from India and 2,187 (1.0%) being Chinese . The city has around 5,610 (2.6%) residents of African or Caribbean origin, which
8162-553: The neighbouring burghs of Old Aberdeen and Woodside plus the Torry area on the south bank of the Dee in 1891. Over the course of World War II Aberdeen was attacked 32 times by the German Luftwaffe . One of the most devastating attacks was on Wednesday 21 April 1943 when 29 Luftwaffe Dornier 217s flying from Stavanger , Norway attacked the city between the hours of 22:17 and 23:04. A total of 98 civilians and 27 servicemen were killed, along with 12,000 houses damaged, after
8268-408: The neighbouring burghs of Old Aberdeen and Woodside, plus the Torry area on the south bank of the Dee. The act of parliament which expanded the burgh also confirmed that Aberdeen was entitled to be called a city; it had commonly been described as a city prior to that, but (like most Scottish cities) without official recognition. Following the absorption of Torry in 1891, the city boundaries straddled
8374-486: The north was subsequently made a separate burgh in 1489. The burgh of Aberdeen was governed by a corporation, also known as the town council. As Aberdeen grew, the council's powers were inadequate to cater for the needs of the growing urban area. A separate police commission was established in 1795 with powers to levy taxes and provide infrastructure ('police' in this context being its older meaning of civic government rather than law enforcement). The first police commission
8480-426: The northwest of the city centre, and given that they are in close proximity to each other, exhibit very similar climatic regimes. Dyce tends to have marginally warmer daytime temperatures year-round owing to its slightly lower elevation, though it is more susceptible to harsh frosts. The coldest temperature to occur in recent years was −16.8 °C (1.8 °F) during December 2010, while the following winter, Dyce set
8586-423: The present. The Shiprow was one of the most important streets in the city, since it led from the harbour into the Castlegate area - the heart of Aberdeen. It is first mentioned in documents in 1281. Over the years it became more and more rundown and, although it had many historic connections, nearly all of it was demolished in the 1950s and 60s. Exchequer Row known locally as Cheq'ra Wynd (first mentioned in 1350)
8692-417: The quayside during floods. A project to extend the quay downstream commenced in 1623, finally being completed in 1659, after being delayed by the Wars of the Three Kingdoms . The extension of the quay allowed former tidal ground to the north to be reclaimed from the sea and put to agricultural use. A 1661 account and plan of Aberdeen by James Gordon, indicates that the quayside extended from Shiprow within
8798-517: The railing posts (known locally as Kelly's Cats). The city's toast is "Happy to meet, sorry to part, happy to meet again". Being situated between two river mouths, the city has little natural exposure of bedrock. The small amount of geophysics done, and occasional building-related exposures, combined with small exposures in the banks of the River Don, suggest that it is actually sited on an inlier of Devonian "Old Red" sandstones and silts. The outskirts of
8904-518: The river Don', and is recorded as Aberdon in 1172 and Aberden in c. 1180 . The first element of the name is the Pictish word aber 'river mouth'. The second element is from the Celtic river goddess Devona . Aberdeen is usually described as within the historical Pictish territory and became Gaelic-speaking at some time in the medieval period. Old Aberdeen is the approximate location of Aberdon,
9010-446: The river as Devana . Medieval (or Ecclesiastical ) Latin has it as Aberdonia . The local Doric pronunciation, [ˌeːbərˈdin] or [ˈeːbərdin] (with a long ay sound), is frequently rendered Aiberdeen or Aiberdein . Aberdeen City is one of 32 council areas of Scotland , administered by Aberdeen City Council . The council meets at Aberdeen Town House and has its main offices in
9116-608: The river entered the area from the south west on a northerly course before turning eastwards towards the sea, featuring a series of channels and islets (known locally as 'inches'). The channels were also fed by the Den Burn, a tributary of the Dee, which flowed from the north east. The port was located on the northern most channel, immediately to the south of the town. It is thought that these channels, sandbanks and islets changed position over time, as maps dating from 1661 and 1773 show noticeably different arrangements. The area experienced
9222-516: The south shore of the mouth of the River Dee and was completed between 1812 and 1815. With the exception of dredging, few improvements were undertaken between 1816 and 1829. More extensive works were undertaken between 1840 and 1846, under the direction of resident engineer James Abernethy . This included widening and deepening of the harbour, the dredging of sand-banks at the harbour entrance and removal of part of Abercromby's Jetty. During this period 303 metres (994 ft; 331 yd) of new quayside
9328-420: The southern named Provost Blaikies Quay. During the period, the River Dee followed a course which corresponds with the modern-day Albert Basin, which was yet to be constructed. Plans to divert the River Dee to its current route were agreed in 1868, allowing for the creation of the Albert Basin between 1869 and 1872, with Commercial Road to the formed to the north and Albert Quay to the south. The work resulted in
9434-461: The structure by adding the two western spires and the southern transept. It is now a congregation of the Church of Scotland . Aberdeen has two other cathedrals: St. Mary's Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Gothic style , erected in 1859. In addition, St. Andrew's Cathedral serves the Scottish Episcopal Church . It was constructed in 1817 as Archibald Simpson 's first commission and contains
9540-574: The third-largest number. The census in 2022 showed that Aberdeen has the highest proportion of non-religious residents of any city in Scotland, with 58% of citizens claiming to have no religion. In the Middle Ages , the Kirk of St Nicholas was the only burgh kirk and one of Scotland's largest parish churches. Like a number of other Scottish kirks, it was subdivided after the Reformation , in this case into
9646-504: The town's quaysides fronted were finally enclosed to create the Victoria Dock, a wet-dock of 13.8 hectares (34 acres). Replacing Wellington Quay and Lime Quay, the scheme was based on Telford's original proposals and were developed by James Abernethy with help from engineers James Walker and Alexander Gibb . The dock was divided into two parts, separated by the Regent swinging bridge . There
9752-479: The town, eastwards towards what was known as Futty, now the Queen's Links area between Waterloo Quay and Aberdeen Beach . Near the mouth of the Dee, was Pockraw, a small fishing harbour, separate from the main port. Gordon also recorded a weigh-house located near Shiprow, which had been built in the early 1630s. Meanwhile, a fishing pier was constructed between 1611 and 1612 at Torry , Aberdeen's southern neighbour across
9858-495: The west of Torry Harbour between 1909 and 1915. This coincided with the development of Torry which saw new streets, a school and church being built and later the Torry Marine Laboratory , shipbuilding yards and sawmills. On 1 July 1909, crowds gathered to watch escape artist Harry Houdini perform an escape from the harbour waters whilst he was chained and handcuffed. Aberdeen's last steam trawlers stopped fishing in
9964-425: The wider settlement of Aberdeen including Cove Bay and Dyce , the population estimate is 220,690 (mid-2020 est.). For Aberdeen City council area, the population estimate is 224,190 (2022). In 1396, the population was about 3,000. By 1801, it had become 26,992, then 153,503 in 1901, and finally 182,467 in 1941. The 2011 census showed fewer young people in Aberdeen, with 16.4% under 16, as opposed to
10070-474: The yard was nationalised and became part of the state-owned British Shipbuilders . It built several offshore patrol vessels and torpedo recovery vessels for the British Ministry of Defence . It was privatised in 1986 and despite traditionally building fishing and cargo vessels, was classed as a naval shipbuilder. This hindered the ability to obtain contracts in the merchant vessel market, resulting in
10176-479: Was a larger dock to the east and smaller dock to the west, the latter corresponding with what is now known as the Upper Dock. The Victoria Dock had a depth of 4.9 metres (16 ft) and could accommodate 300 vessels. It featured two iron entrance-lock gates, 18 metres (60 ft) and 21 metres (70 ft) wide, one for vessels and the other operating as a tide gate . The northern quayside was named Waterloo Quay and
10282-573: Was a short congested lane connecting the Shiprow to the Castlegate, and on its right side, were a number of courts leading into an area crammed with insanitary dwellings which were later demolished. It was popularly supposed that the name Exchequer Row derived from the Aberdeen Mint which stood in the area. However, it comes from the name of the Royal Customs House - the Skakkarium, dating back to
10388-418: Was added using concrete, resulting in its current length of 792.7 metres (2,601 ft; 866.9 yd). Matthews Quay was constructed in 1885 and named after Aberdeen Lord Provost James Matthews , who was also a prominent architect in the city. The early twentieth century saw the expansion of quaysides on the southern shores of the River Dee, with River Dee Dock No.1 and Maitlands Quay being constructed to
10494-407: Was constructed. At this point in time navigation into the harbour was difficult, particularly for long steamships , as it was necessary to make a turn of almost 90 degrees between Pockra jetty and the point of the 'inch' opposite. In 1833 Girdle Ness lighthouse was built on the headland just to the south of the harbour entrance. With the width of the entrance to the navigation channel restricted by
10600-550: Was launched in 1869 and by the 1880s the yard predominately built trawlers. It closed in 1907 with the premises taken over by Hall Russell. Two other yard operated by the Duthie family existed. William Duthie Junior operated a yard from the inches opposite Footdee from 1855 to 1870. John Duthie Torry Shipbuilding Co. was located in Torry between 1904 and 1925. John Lewis & Sons was established in 1907, initially producing and repairing marine engines at Maitlands Quay area in Torry. With
10706-637: Was not apparent until the discovery by BP of the Forties field in October 1970 and the East Shetland Basin discovery by Shell in July 1971. In 1973, Shell became the first oil company to enter a partnership with the harbour to create an oil and gas supply base at Maitlands Quay on the River Dee. The redevelopment saw the remainder of Old Torry demolished, with only a few houses left and none dating from earlier than
10812-490: Was opened in 1816 by William Duthie. It mainly predominately built brigantines and schooners but also undertook repair work. In 1839 it was renamed Alexander Duthie & Co. and began building clipper bow vessels, both for local and international customers. In 1861, the yard became John Duthie, Sons & Co. and throughout the 1860s continued to produce vessels constructed from timber, despite competitors developing use of composite designs and iron. The yard's first iron vessel
10918-429: Was short-lived, but it was resurrected in 1818 after the town council went bankrupt in 1817. From 1818 until 1871 there was a dual system of local government, with the town council and police commission having different roles in Aberdeen's administration. The police commission was eventually abolished in 1871 and its functions absorbed by the town council. In 1891 the city boundaries were significantly enlarged, absorbing
11024-473: Was still the main Scottish port for white-fish processing, with approximately 2,500 full-time employees working in the sector. However, most of the fish landed in Aberdeen was from seine net boats sailing from ports in Fife and north-east Scotland rather than the Aberdeen fleet. Aberdeen's economic prospects improved when oil and natural gas were discovered in the North Sea, however the significance of this to Aberdeen
11130-413: Was undertaken to avoid confusion between the two parts of the harbour and to reflect the commercial nature of the port. Aberdeen had a significant shipbuilding industry for over 200 years, with over 3,000 ships being built at shipyards within the port between 1790 and 1990. There were five main shipbuilders: Established in 1790, Alexander Hall and Sons was known for building sailing ships and designed
11236-456: Was used to build the terraces of the Houses of Parliament and Waterloo Bridge in London. Quarrying finally ceased in 1971. The current owners have begun pumping 40 years of rainwater from the quarry to develop a heritage centre on the site. In-shore fishing was once the predominant industry but was surpassed by deep-sea fisheries, which derived a great impetus from improved technologies throughout
#875124