Aberdeen is Scotland's third largest city and one of the most distinctive — a proud, handsome granite city on the North Sea coast of Aberdeenshire, whose remarkable uniform architecture of silver-grey granite gives it a unique appearance unlike any other city in Britain. Known as the 'Granite City' and, more recently, as the 'Energy Capital of Europe' for its role as the hub of the North Sea oil and gas industry, Aberdeen combines genuine industrial importance with a beautiful historic centre, outstanding beaches and extraordinary access to some of Scotland's finest landscapes.
Aberdeen's granite architecture is extraordinary — hundreds of buildings constructed from local Rubislaw granite, which sparkles silver in sunlight and gives the city a cool, severe grandeur quite unlike the sandstone warmth of Glasgow or the volcanic drama of Edinburgh. Union Street — the city's magnificent Victorian main street — is lined with some of the finest granite buildings in Britain. Marischal College, the second largest granite building in the world, houses the city council and is one of the most spectacular Victorian Gothic buildings in Scotland.
Aberdeen has two universities — the University of Aberdeen (founded 1495, one of the oldest in the English-speaking world) and Robert Gordon University — giving the city a large student population and a lively cultural scene. The city's beach esplanade — a long, clean sandy beach stretching north from the harbour — is one of the finest urban beaches in Scotland. House prices average just £178,000, making Aberdeen outstanding value for a city of this size, cultural offer and economic importance — a legacy of the post-oil price crash that has kept values significantly below their 2014 peak.
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VisitBritain- Marischal College & MuseumThe second largest granite building in the world — a spectacular Victorian Gothic building housing the city council and the excellent Marischal Museum, with free collections spanning archaeology, Egyptology and local history.
- Aberdeen Art GalleryOne of Scotland's finest art galleries, recently reopened after a major renovation — an outstanding collection including works by Monet, Renoir, Paul Nash and a superb collection of Scottish art.
- Aberdeen BeachA magnificent 2-mile sandy beach stretching north from the harbour — one of the finest urban beaches in Britain, with the Links golf courses, leisure centre and the famous beachfront amusements alongside.
- Cairngorms & Royal DeesideAberdeen is the gateway to Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms — Balmoral Castle, Braemar, the Linn of Dee and some of Scotland's finest Highland scenery are all within an hour's drive.
- Whisky Trail & SpeysideAberdeen is the starting point for the famous Malt Whisky Trail — Speyside distilleries including Glenfiddich, Macallan and Glenfarclas are all within easy reach for exceptional whisky tourism.
- Dunnottar CastleOne of Scotland's most dramatically situated castle ruins — perched on a sheer clifftop headland above the North Sea, 15 miles south of Aberdeen. The Crown Jewels of Scotland were hidden here in 1651.
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