The Aberdeen area has seen human settlement for at least 8,000 years. The city began as two separate burghs: Old Aberdeen at 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 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 the basis for the city's Common Good Fund which still benefits Aberdonians.
Activities of interest in Aberdeen
The city has a wide range of cultural activities and museums. The Aberdeen Art Gallery houses a collection of Impressionist, Victorian, Scottish and twentieth Century British paintings as well as collections of silver and glass.
Museums include the Aberdeen Maritime Museum, which tells the story of Aberdeen's links with the sea. Provost Ross' House is the second oldest dwelling house in the city. It was built in 1593 and became the residence of Provost John Ross of Arnage in 1702. The Gordon Highlanders Museum tells the story of one of Scotland's best known regiments. Marischal Museum holds the principal collections of the University of Aberdeen, comprising some 80,000 items in the areas of fine art, Scottish history and archaeology, and European, Mediterranean & Near Eastern archaeology.
Aberdeen's music scene includes a variety of live music venues including pubs, clubs, and church choirs. The bars of Belmont Street are particularly known for featuring live music. Cèilidhs are also common in the city's halls.
The city has long been famous for its 45 outstanding parks and gardens, and citywide floral displays which include two million roses, eleven million daffodils and three million crocuses. The city has won the Royal Horticultural Society's Britain in Bloom 'Best City' award ten times.
Getting to Aberdeen
By Road: The main traffic routes into Aberdeen are the A90 from the South, Dundee, Edinburgh and Perth, and the A96 from Inverness and the North. The A90 is entirely dual carriageway south of Aberdeen; the A96 has stretches of dual carriageway. Like many major cities,
By Rail: Rail services connect Aberdeen both north and south.There are regular direct trains to London and services from Edinburgh and Glasgow link with other mainline routes. Inverness, the scenic West Coast and the Highlands are reached northwards. The railway station is located in Guild Street, next to the coach and bus station. This is close to the centre of Aberdeen and five minutes walk from Marischal College. For timetables, please go to www.scotrail.co.uk.
By Coach: The main coach and bus station is located in Guild Street, next to the railway station. This is close to the centre of Aberdeen. National Express provide an extensive network of coach services. Telephone 08705 808080 for information. www.nationalexpress.com.
By Air: Aberdeen's international airport is served by a number of major carriers providing an extensive network of routes throughout the UK. Regular bus services operate from the airport to Aberdeen city centre, however please note that services are less frequent at weekends.
