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Aberdeen History
The city of
Aberdeen has been famous for its outstanding parks, gardens
and floral displays for this reason Aberdeen is known as the "Flower
of Scotland". The city's top attraction is the Winter Gardens at the
Duthie Park which is also home to the stunning Rose Mountain. One
can sense that there is a true feeling of civic pride here and in
order to discover more about the city and its people it is worth
visiting some of the city museums and galleries.
Aberdeen is
fortunate in having wonderful museums and galleries in its city
centre all within easy walking distance of each other: Provost Skene's House is the oldest surviving "town house" and can be
considered an architectural gem in the heart of the city while close
by, the Marischal Museum located in the magnificent granite edifice
of Marischal College paints a picture of North East life. Aberdeen's
fortunes have long been associated with the sea and a visit to the
re-developed Aberdeen Maritime Museum with its state of the art,
hands-on exhibits is a must. This museum focuses on fishing,
shipbuilding and the oil industry and is an ideal point to view the
activities of one of Britain's busiest harbours, just a few yards
from Union Street.
Aberdeen
has a flourishing cultural scene with excellent collections of
Scottish and Impressionist works and contemporary exhibitions at the
Art Gallery on Schoolhill, and there are smaller galleries worth
seeking out.
As befits a
cosmopolitan centre such as Aberdeen there is a packed programme of
arts performances and entertainments throughout the year. Pick up a
copy of "What's On" to find out who is appearing at His Majesty's
Theatre, which concert is on at the Music Hall or which acts are at
the Lemon Tree. To the north, at Bridge of Don, the Aberdeen
Exhibition & Conference Centre is the venue for major events and top
name concerts.
This is
very much a "festival" city with events throughout the calendar
ensuring a real buzz of activity. "Rootin' Aboot" is the spring
celebration of roots and folk music, the International Youth
Festival brings young performers from all over the world while the
Alternative Festival in October is an eclectic mix of music, comedy
and artistic performances. The Winter Festival is growing in stature
and encompasses seasonal events and activities, bringing light and
laughter to the darker months.
North of
the city centre, Old Aberdeen provides an oasis of tranquillity in
contrast to the bustle of city life. Once quite a separate entity
from the city that grew up close to the River Dee, Old Aberdeen is
chiefly associated with the University of Aberdeen whose King's
College, with its distinctive crown tower, is a central feature. The
King's College Visitor Centre tells the story of the 500 year old
University. The quarter is an outstanding conservation area and
other attractions in this area include the University's Cruickshank
Botanic Garden, St Machar's Cathedral (one of Aberdeen's three
cathedrals) and Seaton Park with its walks which lead to the Brig
O'Balgownie across the River Don.
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