118-570: The Cruickshank Botanic Garden in Aberdeen , Scotland, was built on land presented to the University of Aberdeen in 1898 by Miss Anne Cruickshank to commemorate her brother Dr. Alexander Cruickshank. The 11 acre (45,000 m) garden is located in a low-lying and fairly sheltered area of Aberdeen, less than 1-mile (1.6 km) from the North Sea . The Cruickshank Botanic Garden is partly owned and financed by
236-458: A bond with Henry Murdac , the new archbishop. Despite the support of Pope Eugene III , supporters of King Stephen and William FitzHerbert managed to prevent Henry taking up his post at York. In 1149, Henry sought the support of David. David seized on the opportunity to bring the archdiocese under his control and marched on the city. However, Stephen's supporters became aware of David's intentions and informed King Stephen. Stephen therefore marched to
354-603: A date unknown in 1084 in Scotland. He was probably the eighth son of King Malcolm III , and certainly the sixth and youngest borne by Malcolm's second wife, Margaret of Wessex . He was the grandson of King Duncan I . In 1093, King Malcolm and David's brother Edward were killed at the River Aln during an invasion of Northumberland . David and his two brothers Alexander and Edgar were probably present when their mother died shortly afterwards. According to later medieval tradition,
472-574: A force of knights and men-at-arms. A pitched battle took place, the battle of Clitheroe , and the English army was routed. By later July 1138, the two Scottish armies had reunited in "St Cuthbert's land", that is, in the lands controlled by the Bishop of Durham , on the far side of the river Tyne . Another English army had mustered to meet the Scots, this time led by William, Earl of Aumale . The victory at Clitheroe
590-566: A garden in the United Kingdom is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Aberdeen Aberdeen ( / ˌ æ b ər ˈ d iː n / AB -ər- DEEN ; locally [ˌeːbərˈdin] or [ˈeːbərdin] ; Scottish Gaelic : Obar Dheathain [ˈopəɾ ˈʝɛ.ɪɲ] ) is a city in North East Scotland , and is the third most populous Scottish city . Historically, Aberdeen
708-410: A judge at Woodstock for the treason trial of Geoffrey de Clinton . It was in this year that David's wife, Matilda of Huntingdon, died. Possibly as a result of this, and while David was still in southern England, Scotland-proper rose up in arms against him. The instigator was, again, his nephew Máel Coluim, who now had the support of Óengus of Moray . King Óengus was David's most powerful vassal,
826-644: A large fleet and a large army of Norman knights, including Walter Espec , were sent by Henry to Carlisle in order to assist David's attempt to root out his Scottish enemies. The fleet seems to have been used in the Irish Sea , the Firth of Clyde and the entire Argyll coast, where Máel Coluim was probably at large among supporters. In 1134, Máel Coluim was captured and imprisoned in Roxburgh Castle . Since modern historians no longer confuse him with " Malcolm MacHeth ", it
944-452: 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
1062-471: A man who, as grandson of King Lulach of Scotland , even had his own claim to the kingdom. The rebel Scots had advanced into Angus , where they were met by David's Mercian constable , Edward ; a battle took place at Stracathro near Brechin . According to the Annals of Ulster , 1000 of Edward's army, and 4000 of Óengus' army – including Óengus himself – died. According to Orderic Vitalis, Edward followed up
1180-713: 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
1298-468: 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
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#17328583641561416-515: A national diocesan system. As for the development of the parochial system, David's traditional role as its creator can not be sustained. Scotland already had an ancient system of parish churches dating to the Early Middle Ages , and the kind of system introduced by David's Normanising tendencies can more accurately be seen as mild refashioning, rather than creation; he made the Scottish system as
1534-452: A native Scot called Aindréas to be the first Bishop of Caithness , a bishopric which was based at Halkirk , near Thurso , in an area which was ethnically Scandinavian. In 1150, it looked like Caithness and the whole earldom of Orkney were going to come under permanent Scottish control. However, David's plans for the north soon began to encounter problems. In 1151, King Eystein II of Norway put
1652-504: 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
1770-679: 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
1888-407: A picture of routine enslavings, as well as killings of churchmen, women and infants. By February King Stephen marched north to deal with David. The two armies avoided each other, and Stephen was soon on the road south. In the summer David split his army into two forces, sending William fitz Duncan to march into Lancashire , where he harried Furness and Craven . On 10 June, William fitz Duncan met
2006-488: A pitched battle, a treaty was agreed whereby David would retain Carlisle, while David's son Henry was re-granted the title and half the lands of the earldom of Huntingdon, territory which had been confiscated during David's revolt. On Stephen's side, he received back the other castles; and while David would do no homage, Stephen was to receive the homage of Henry for both Carlisle and the other English territories. Stephen also gave
2124-433: A project, a project which came to an end only after Henry II ordered David's child successor Máel Coluim IV to hand over the most important of David's gains. It is clear that neither one of these interpretations can be taken without some weight being given to the other. Henry I had arranged his inheritance to pass to his daughter Empress Matilda . Instead, Stephen , younger brother of Theobald II, Count of Blois , seized
2242-545: A settlement. David's son Henry was given the earldom of Northumberland and was restored to the earldom of Huntingdon and lordship of Doncaster ; David himself was allowed to keep Carlisle and Cumberland. King Stephen was to retain possession of the strategically vital castles of Bamburgh and Newcastle. This effectively fulfilled all of David's war aims. The settlement with Stephen was not set to last long. The arrival in England of Empress Matilda gave David an opportunity to renew
2360-560: A similar grant to this same Erlend, cancelling the effect of David's grant. David's weakness in Orkney was that the Norwegian kings were not prepared to stand back and let him reduce their power. David's relationship with England and the English crown in these years is usually interpreted in two ways. Firstly, his actions are understood in relation to his connections with the King of England. No historian
2478-444: A spanner in the works by sailing through the waterways of Orkney with a large fleet and catching the young Harald unaware in his residence at Thurso. Eystein forced Harald to pay fealty as a condition of his release. Later in the year David hastily responded by supporting the claims to the Orkney earldom of Harald's rival Erlend Haraldsson , granting him half of Caithness in opposition to Harald. King Eystein responded in turn by making
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#17328583641562596-486: A valuable supplement to his income and manpower, increasing his status as one of the most powerful magnates in the Kingdom of the English. Moreover, Matilda's father Waltheof had been Earl of Northumberland , a defunct lordship which had covered the far north of England and included Cumberland and Westmorland , Northumberland -proper, as well as overlordship of the bishopric of Durham . After King Henry's death, David revived
2714-532: A whole more like that of France and England , but he did not create it. One of the first problems David had to deal with as king was an ecclesiastical dispute with the English Church . The problem with the English Church concerned the subordination of Scottish sees to the archbishops of York and/or Canterbury, an issue which since his election in 1124 had prevented Robert of Scone from being consecrated to
2832-403: 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
2950-578: 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
3068-403: 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
3186-531: 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
3304-454: Is clear that nothing more is ever heard of Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair, except perhaps that his sons were later allied with Somerled . Richard Oram puts forward the suggestion that it was during this period that David granted Walter fitz Alan Strathgryfe , with northern Kyle and the area around Renfrew , forming what would become the "Stewart" lordship of Strathgryfe; he also suggests that Hugh de Morville may have gained Cunningham and
3422-399: 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,
3540-480: 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. David I of Scotland David I or Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim ( Modern Gaelic : Daibhidh I mac [Mhaoil] Chaluim ; c. 1084 – 24 May 1153)
3658-566: Is likely to deny that David's early career was largely manufactured by King Henry I of England. David was the latter's brother-in-law and " greatest protégé ", one of Henry's "new men". His hostility to Stephen can be interpreted as an effort to uphold the intended inheritance of Henry I, the succession of his daughter and David's niece Empress Matilda . David carried out his wars in her name, joined her when she arrived in England, and later knighted her son Henry . However, David's policy towards England can be interpreted in an additional way. David
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3776-592: 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
3894-553: 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
4012-404: Is used by many scholars to summarise the changes that took place in Scotland during his reign. These included his foundation of burghs and regional markets, implementation of the ideals of Gregorian Reform , foundation of monasteries , Normanisation of the Scottish government, and the introduction of feudalism through immigrant Anglo-Norman , Norman and Flemish knights. David was born on
4130-411: 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
4248-629: The Apostolic See in order to secure a pallium which would elevate the bishopric of St Andrews to an archbishopric with jurisdiction over Glasgow. Thurstan travelled to Rome, as did the Archbishop of Canterbury, William de Corbeil , and both presumably opposed David's request. David however gained the support of King Henry, and the Archbishop of York agreed to a year's postponement of the issue and to consecrate Robert of Scone without making an issue of subordination. York's claim over bishops north of
4366-741: The South Tyne enabled him to begin minting the Kingdom of Scotland 's first silver coinage. David, meanwhile, issued charters to Shrewsbury Abbey in respect to their lands in Lancashire . However, David's successes were in many ways balanced by his failures. David's greatest disappointment during this time was his inability to ensure control of the Bishopric of Durham and the Archbishopric of York . David had attempted to appoint his chancellor, William Comyn , to
4484-518: 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
4602-401: The river Ribble and Pennines while holding the north-east as far south as the river Tyne , on the borders of the core territory of the bishopric of Durham . While his son brought all the senior barons of Northumberland into his entourage, David rebuilt the fortress of Carlisle . Carlisle quickly replaced Roxburgh as his favoured residence. David's acquisition of the mines at Alston on
4720-477: 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
4838-729: 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
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4956-433: The English chroniclers. Richard of Hexham called it "an execrable army, savager than any race of heathen yielding honour to neither God nor man" and that it "harried the whole province and slaughtered everywhere folk of either sex, of every age and condition, destroying, pillaging and burning the vills, churches and houses". Several doubtful stories of cannibalism were recorded by chroniclers, and these same chroniclers paint
5074-505: 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
5192-639: The Garden, and the School of Biological Sciences of the University of Aberdeen holds a reception for graduands and their guests here each July. A plaque in the Cruickshank Botanic Garden commemorates Francis Masson , a Scottish botanist , gardener, and Kew Gardens ’ first plant hunter This Aberdeen location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to
5310-629: 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
5428-637: 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
5546-513: The Scots massed an army on Northumberland's border , to which the English responded by gathering an army at Newcastle . Once more pitched battle was avoided, and instead, a truce was agreed until December. When December fell, David demanded that Stephen hand over the whole of the old earldom of Northumberland. Stephen's refusal led to David's third invasion, this time in January 1138. The army which invaded England in January and February 1138 shocked
5664-579: The Scottish church usually acknowledges David's role as the defender of the Scottish church's independence from claims of overlordship by the Archbishop of York and the Archbishop of Canterbury . It was once held that Scotland's episcopal sees and entire parochial system owed its origins to the innovations of David I. Today, scholars have moderated this view. Aelred of Rievaulx wrote in David's eulogy that when David came to power, "he found three or four bishops in
5782-560: 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
5900-415: The backing of Henry I, to take the Kingdom of Alba (Scotland) for himself. He was forced to engage in warfare against his rival and nephew, Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair . Subduing the latter seems to have taken David ten years, a struggle that involved the destruction of Óengus , Mormaer of Moray . David's victory allowed expansion of control over more distant regions theoretically part of his Kingdom. After
6018-494: 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
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#17328583641566136-467: The bishopric of Durham, which had been vacant since the death of Bishop Geoffrey Rufus in 1140. Between 1141 and 1143, Comyn was the de facto bishop, and had control of the bishop's castle; but he was resented by the chapter . Despite controlling the town of Durham, David's only hope of ensuring his election and consecration was gaining the support of the papal legate , Henry of Blois , Bishop of Winchester and brother of King Stephen. Despite obtaining
6254-448: 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
6372-476: The ceremony of coronation was a series of elaborate traditional rituals, of the kind infamous in the Anglo-French world of the 12th century for their "unchristian" elements. Aelred of Rievaulx , friend and one-time member of David's court, reported that David "so abhorred those acts of homage which are offered by the Scottish nation in the manner of their fathers upon the recent promotion of their kings, that he
6490-472: The city and installed a new garrison. David decided not to risk such an engagement and withdrew. Richard Oram has conjectured that David's ultimate aim was to bring the whole of the ancient Kingdom of Northumbria into his dominion. For Oram, this event was the turning point, "the chance to radically redraw the political map of the British Isles [had been] lost forever". Historical treatment of David I and
6608-589: 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
6726-515: 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,
6844-630: 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
6962-521: The claim to this earldom for his son, Henry. David's activities and whereabouts after 1114 are not always easy to trace. He spent much of his time outside his principality, in England and Normandy. Despite the death of his sister on 1 May 1118, David still possessed the favour of King Henry when his brother Alexander died in 1124, leaving Scotland without a king. In spite of the fact that David spent his childhood in Scotland, Michael Lynch and Richard Oram portray him as having little initial connection with
7080-537: 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
7198-796: The conflict with Stephen. In either May or June, David travelled to the south of England and entered Matilda's company; he was present for her expected coronation at Westminster Abbey , though this never took place. David was there until September when the Empress found herself surrounded at Winchester . This civil war, or " the Anarchy " as it was later called, enabled David to strengthen his own position in northern England. While David consolidated his hold on his own and his son's newly acquired lands, he also sought to expand his influence. The castles at Newcastle and Bamburgh were again brought under his control, and he attained dominion over all of England north-west of
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#17328583641567316-459: 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
7434-400: The culture and society of the Scots; but both likewise argue that David became increasingly re-Gaelicised in the later stages of his reign. Whatever the case, David's claim to be heir to the Scottish kingdom was doubtful. He was the youngest of eight sons of the fifth from last king. Two more recent kings had produced sons, William fitz Duncan , son of King Duncan II, and Máel Coluim , son of
7552-495: The daughter of Haakon Paulsson , Earl of Orkney . The marriage temporarily secured the northern frontier of the kingdom and held out the prospect that a son of one of David's mormaers could gain Orkney and Caithness for the Kingdom of Scotland. Thus, by the time Henry I died on 1 December 1135, David had more of Scotland under his control than ever before. While fighting King Stephen and attempting to dominate northern England in
7670-481: The daughter of Óengus in marriage, cementing his authority in the region. The burghs of Elgin and Forres may have been founded at this point, consolidating royal authority in Moray. David also founded Urquhart Priory , possibly as a "victory monastery", and assigned to it a percentage of his cain (tribute) from Argyll. During this period too, a marriage was arranged between the son of Matad, Mormaer of Atholl , and
7788-557: The death of his former patron Henry I, David supported the claims of Henry's daughter and his own niece, Empress Matilda , to the throne of England. In the process, he came into conflict with King Stephen and was able to expand his power in northern England , despite his defeat at the Battle of the Standard in 1138. David I is a saint of the Catholic Church , with his feast day celebrated on 24 May. The term " Davidian Revolution "
7906-589: 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
8024-519: 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
8142-402: 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
8260-439: 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
8378-633: 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
8496-605: 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
8614-452: 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
8732-582: 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
8850-566: The killing of Óengus by marching north into Moray itself, which, in Orderic's words, "lacked a defender and lord"; and so Edward, "with God's help obtained the entire duchy of that extensive district". However, this was far from the end of it. Máel Coluim escaped, and four years of continuing civil war followed; for David, this period was quite simply a "struggle for survival". It appears that David asked for and obtained extensive military aid from King Henry. Aelred of Rievaulx related that at this point
8968-540: The kingdom from [David], and fought against him two sufficiently fierce battles; but David, who was loftier in understanding and in power and wealth, conquered him and his followers". Máel Coluim escaped unharmed into areas of Scotland not yet under David's control, and in those areas gained shelter and aid. In either April or May of the same year, David was crowned King of Scotland ( Old Irish : rí (gh) Alban ; Medieval Latin : rex Scottorum ) at Scone . If later Scottish and Irish evidence can be taken as evidence,
9086-461: The last King Alexander, but since Scots had never adopted the rules of primogeniture that was not a barrier to his kingship, and unlike David, neither William nor Máel Coluim had the support of Henry. So when Alexander died in 1124, the aristocracy of Scotland could either accept David as king or face war with both David and Henry. Alexander's son, Máel Coluim, chose war. Orderic Vitalis reported that Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair "affected to snatch
9204-452: The later part of 1113, King Henry gave David the hand of Matilda of Huntingdon, daughter and heiress of Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria . The marriage brought with it the "Honour of Huntingdon", a lordship scattered through the shires of Northampton , Huntingdon , and Bedford . Within a few years, Matilda bore him two sons: Malcolm, who died young, and Henry , whom David named after his patron. The new territories which David controlled were
9322-423: 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
9440-522: 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
9558-505: 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
9676-553: 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
9794-456: 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
9912-486: 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
10030-522: The northerly kingdom. He sent the eldest son of Malcolm, David's half-brother Duncan , into Scotland with an army. Duncan was killed within the year, and so in 1097 William sent Duncan's half-brother Edgar into Scotland. The latter was more successful and was crowned by the end of 1097. During the power struggle of 1093–1097, David was in England. In 1093, he may have been about nine years old. From 1093 until 1103, David's presence cannot be accounted for in detail, but he appears to have been in Scotland for
10148-426: 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
10266-553: The plunder of stable Alba. If "divided from" is anything to go by, this quatrain may have been written in David's new territories in southern Scotland. The lands in question consisted of the Shires of Scotland of Roxburghshire , Selkirkshire , Berwickshire , Peeblesshire and Lanarkshire . David, moreover, gained the title princeps Cumbrensis , " Prince of the Cumbrians ", as attested in David's charters from this era. Although this
10384-517: 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
10502-447: The rather worthless but for David face-saving promise that if he ever chose to resurrect the defunct earldom of Northumberland, Henry would be given first consideration. Importantly, the issue of Matilda was not mentioned. However, the first Durham treaty quickly broke down after David took insult at the treatment of his son Henry at Stephen's court. When the winter of 1136–1137 was over, David prepared again to invade England. The king of
10620-443: The remainder of the 1090s. When William Rufus was killed, his brother Henry Beauclerc seized power and married David's sister, Matilda . The marriage made David the brother-in-law of the ruler of England. From that point onwards, David was probably an important figure at the English court. Despite his Gaelic background, by the end of his stay in England, David had become a fully Normanised prince. William of Malmesbury wrote that it
10738-518: 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,
10856-446: 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
10974-412: The see of St Andrews (Cenn Ríghmonaidh). Since the 11th century, the bishopric of St Andrews likely functioned as a de facto archbishopric. The title of "Archbishop" is accorded in Scottish and Irish sources to Bishop Giric and Bishop Fothad II . The problem was that this archepiscopal status had not been cleared with the papacy, opening the way for English archbishops to claim the overlordship of
11092-451: The settlement of "Strathyrewen" (i.e. Irvine ). This would indicate that the 1130–1134 campaign had resulted in the acquisition of these territories. How long it took to pacify Moray is not known, but in this period David appointed his nephew William fitz Duncan to succeed Óengus, perhaps in compensation for the exclusion from the succession to the Scottish throne caused by the coming of age of David's son Henry . William may have been given
11210-541: The southern lands bequeathed by Edgar – soon after the latter's death. However, it cannot be shown that he possessed his inheritance until his foundation of Selkirk Abbey late in 1113. According to Richard Oram , it was only in 1113, when Henry returned to England from Normandy , that David was at last in a position to claim his inheritance in southern Scotland. King Henry's backing seems to have been enough to force King Alexander to recognise his younger brother's claims. This probably occurred without bloodshed but through
11328-461: 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
11446-498: The support of Empress Matilda, David was unsuccessful and had given up by the time William of St. Barbara was elected to the see in 1143. David also attempted to interfere in the succession to the archbishopric of York. William FitzHerbert , nephew of King Stephen, found his position undermined by the collapsing political fortune of Stephen in the north of England and was deposed by the Pope. David used his Cistercian connections to build
11564-574: 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
11682-411: The threat of force nonetheless. David's aggression seems to have inspired resentment amongst some native Scots. A Middle Gaelic quatrain from this period complains that: Olc a ndearna mac Mael Colaim, ar cosaid re hAlaxandir, do-ní le gach mac rígh romhaind, foghail ar faras Albain. It's bad what Máel Coluim's son has done; dividing us from Alexander; he causes, like each king's son before;
11800-628: The three brothers were in Edinburgh when they were besieged by their paternal uncle Donald III , who made himself king. It is not certain what happened next, but an insertion in the Chronicle of Melrose states that Donald forced his three nephews into exile, although he was allied with another of his nephews, Edmund . John of Fordun wrote, centuries later, that an escort into England was arranged for them by their maternal uncle Edgar Ætheling . King William Rufus of England opposed Donald's accession to
11918-465: The throne. David had been the first layperson to take the oath to uphold the succession of Matilda in 1127, and when Stephen was crowned on 22 December 1135, David decided to make war. Before December was over, David marched into northern England, and by the end of January, he had occupied the castles of Carlisle , Wark , Alnwick , Norham and Newcastle . By February David was at Durham, but an army led by King Stephen met him there. Rather than fight
12036-592: The university and partly by the Cruickshank Botanic Garden Trust. The Friends of the Cruickshank Botanic Garden actively promote and support the garden. Each summer vacation the Friends provide a bursary to allow an undergraduate student interested in botany to gain work experience in the gardens. Although open to the public, the garden is extensively used for both teaching and research purposes. The Natural History Centre regularly guides school parties round
12154-441: The whole Scottish church. The man responsible was the new aggressively assertive Archbishop of York, Thurstan . His easiest target was the bishopric of Glasgow , which being south of the river Forth was not regarded as part of Scotland nor the jurisdiction of St Andrews. In 1125, Pope Honorius II wrote to John, Bishop of Glasgow ordering him to submit to the archbishopric of York. David ordered Bishop John of Glasgow to travel to
12272-510: The whole Scottish kingdom [north of the Forth], and the others wavering without a pastor to the loss of both morals and property; when he died, he left nine, both of ancient bishoprics which he himself restored and new ones which he erected". Although David moved the bishopric of Mortlach east to Old Aberdeen , and arranged the creation of the diocese of Caithness , no other bishoprics can be safely called David's creation. The bishopric of Glasgow
12390-425: 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
12508-414: The years following 1136, David was continuing his drive for control of the far north of Scotland. In 1139, his cousin, the five-year-old Harald Maddadsson , was given the title of "Earl" and half the lands of the earldom of Orkney , in addition to Scottish Caithness . Throughout the 1140s, Caithness and Sutherland were brought back under the Scottish zone of control. Sometime before 1146, David appointed
12626-473: Was a 12th century ruler and saint who was Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 1124 and later King of Scotland from 1124 to 1153. The youngest son of King Malcolm III and Queen Margaret , David spent most of his childhood in Scotland but was exiled to England temporarily in 1093. Perhaps after 1100, he became a dependent at the court of King Henry I of England , by whom he was influenced. When David's brother Alexander I died in 1124, David chose, with
12744-538: Was a defeat, it was not by any means decisive. David retained the bulk of his army and thus the power to go on the offensive again. The siege of Wark , for instance, which had been going on since January, continued until it was captured in November. David continued to occupy Cumberland as well as much of Northumberland . On 26 September Cardinal Alberic , Bishop of Ostia , arrived at Carlisle where David had called together his kingdom's nobles, abbots and bishops. Alberic
12862-570: Was a large slice of Scotland south of the river Forth, the region of Galloway-proper was entirely outside David's control. David may perhaps have had varying degrees of overlordship in parts of Dumfriesshire , Ayrshire , Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire . In the lands between Galloway and the Principality of Cumbria, David eventually set up large-scale marcher lordships, such as Annandale for Robert de Brus , Cunningham for Hugh de Morville , and possibly Strathgryfe for Walter Fitzalan . In
12980-477: Was in this period that David "rubbed off all tarnish of Scottish barbarity through being polished by intercourse and friendship with us". David's brother King Edgar had visited William Rufus in May 1099 and bequeathed to David extensive territory to the south of the river Forth . On 8 January 1107, Edgar died. His younger brother Alexander took the throne. It has been assumed that David took control of his inheritance –
13098-404: Was probably what inspired David to risk battle. David's force, apparently 26,000 strong and several times larger than the English army, met the English on 22 August at Cowdon Moor near Northallerton , North Yorkshire . The Battle of the Standard , as the encounter came to be called, was a defeat for the Scots. Afterwards, David and his surviving notables retired to Carlisle. Although the result
13216-565: Was restored rather than resurrected. David appointed his reform-minded French chaplain John Capellanus to the bishopric and carried out an inquest , afterwards assigning to the bishopric all the lands of his principality, except those in the east which were already governed by the Bishop of St Andrews . David was at least partly responsible for forcing semi-monastic "bishoprics" like Brechin , Dunkeld , Mortlach ( Aberdeen ) and Dunblane to become fully episcopal and firmly integrated into
13334-429: 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
13452-446: Was the independence-loving king trying to build a "Scoto-Northumbrian" realm by seizing the most northerly parts of the English kingdom. In this perspective, David's support for Matilda is used as a pretext for land-grabbing. David's maternal descent from the House of Wessex and his son Henry's maternal descent from the English earls of Northumberland is thought to have further encouraged such
13570-458: Was there to investigate the controversy over the issue of the Bishop of Glasgow's allegiance or non-allegiance to the Archbishop of York. Alberic played the role of peace broker, and David agreed to a six-week truce which excluded the siege of Wark. On 9 April, David and Stephen's wife Matilda of Boulogne (daughter of Mary of Scotland , and so another niece of David) met each other at Durham and agreed
13688-456: 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
13806-486: Was with difficulty compelled by the bishops to receive them". Outside his Cumbrian principality and the southern fringe of Scotland-proper, David exercised little power in the 1120s, and in the words of Richard Oram, was "king of Scots in little more than name". He was probably in that part of Scotland he did rule for most of the time between late 1127 and 1130. However, he was at the court of Henry in 1126 and in early 1127, and returned to Henry's court in 1130, serving as
13924-436: 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 the United Kingdom's 39th most populous built-up area , and 224,190 (2022) for the wider council area including outlying localities. The city
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