Scottish Blog

Like many other Scottish Cities, Aberdeen has a unique and fascinating history, which is on of the most documented in all of Scotland.

One of Aberdeen’s appealing features is its architecture, which can be called “classical Scottish architecture”. The main distinction between Aberdeen and most other Scottish cities is that many of Aberdeen’s original buildings are made from a granite stone, found only in the Aberdeen area. These extraordinarily preserved buildings are a must see for anyone who appreciates original historic and classical Scottish architecture.

Aberdeen was founded as a fishing settlement, in the mouths of two rivers. In fact the name Aberdeen is thought to stem from the word aber, which means “mouth of river”.

The earliest historical mention of Aberdeen is dated 1179, and stipulates that Aberdeen was at that point already an important trade and commerce town in Scotland. Historic documents of that time point to importance of the city in Scotland’s politics and business of that time, many Kings and Scottish nobility visited or made their residence in Aberdeen. This can be seen, when King William, a frequent visitor of the town, sanctioned the construction of a Mint in Aberdeen as a sign of goodwill and appreciation of importance of Aberdeen in Scotland.

In 1319 Aberdeen received a new town charter from Robert the Bruce, a well known and one of the most prominent figures in Scottish history. The new charter’s purpose was to make Aberdeen financially independent from the Crown. When Robert the Bruce came upon the throne, another charter was written for the town. This documents purpose was to further establish Aberdeen’s independence, by selling the Aberdeen land to its people. Aberdeen and it’s surroundings, which were referred to as a Burgh, was now subject to only their own laws and in under no direct control of the Crown.

Aberdeen has always been innovative, not only in business but in politics. In 1399 Scotland’s first municipal elections were held in Aberdeen. Twenty Councilors were elected. In 1469 a new act was passed stating that the new council will shall elected only by the old council and that the two councils will combine. Slowly over time Merchants Guildsmen made up the majority of the council members, making it harder with time for any other group to enter. There were struggles for power from the Crafts Guild, which spread the voting power in the council for a short time, but in the 16th century acts were passed which made it impossible for anyone other the a Merchant Guildsman to get on the Aberdeen Council giving them total control.

Since Aberdeen was independent from the King of Scotland and everything was controlled by the councilmen, it is only logical to think that the defense and army aspect of Aberdeen was also headed by the Council. The duty of organizing and coordinating the defenses of the town fell upon the Provost, who was elected by the council members. In 1411 this form of organization was tested, when the Provost assembled a citizen army to fight a Highland Army, which was marching towards Aberdeen. The citizen army was defeated and the city walls were then easily breached and much of the city destroyed.

The majority of the history of Aberdeen between the 15th and 17th century revolves around a struggle for the Civic Chair between the most powerful families in Aberdeen. Between 1423 and 1635 the most powerful family was the Menzies with many councilmen and other official positions being held by the Menzies. During the Menzies term of power Aberdeen prospered both from within and also on the national scale. Aberdeen still remained a prominent business and political center in Scotland with many important guests still visiting Aberdeen at that time, including King James II and Charles II.

Around 1639 to 1652 Scotland was in the midst of the Covenanting Wars. Throughout the conflict Aberdeen was strongly sided with the King, even outright refusing to sign the Convent after it was brought to Aberdeen. This earned much favor in the King’s eyes; subsequently he released a new town charter for Aberdeen, restoring all the independence rights that Aberdeen has lost throughout time.

Although Aberdeen did not escape this war unscathed, in 1644 the town was ransacked and destroyed by Covenant side under the command of Montrose.

In 1686 a new market cross was erected in the city after the Council decided that the old one did not fully represent the glory of the city. The cross can still be seen today, opposite the Tolbooth. In 1667 a twice weekly postal run was also organized by the Council, as before mail delivery was very irregular. In 1674 these duties were handed over to the Postmaster General of Scotland.

In 1706 fresh water was brought into the city via lead pipes it was distributed throughout the city by linking to various wells throughout Aberdeen. In 1721 a fire brigade was established in Aberdeen and a fire truck was purchased from London for ₤60.

Around the turn of the 19th century Aberdeen was one of the best established economic centers in Scotland. The importance of Aberdeen increased even more so after the creation of a shipbuilding and fishing industry. The new industries brought with them the necessity for new docks and other seaside industry facilities.

The financial expense of such enormous development took its toll. Aberdeen fell into bankruptcy shortly after building harbor facilities to accommodate the growing sea based industries. The business experience and strong hearts of the Aberdeen helped Aberdeen recover at least expense and shortest possible time.

Aberdeen has consistently continued to prosper as trade town, and more recently has experienced impressive growth after oil was discovered in the North Sea. With the discovery, great wealth came to Aberdeen. The town has remained one of the most important economic centers not just in Scotland or the UK but in Europe, being called by some “The Energy capital of Europe”.

Even though Aberdeen is a bustling economic center, it still holds a majestic air of its ancestry. Anyone with even the slightest interest in history should consider looking at Aberdeen.