Aberdeen: City of Granite

Aberdeen is one of Scotland's most northerly industrial cities. It has always been a noteworthy sea port involved in fishing and commerce. During the 1970's it took on a new role, however, namely as a base for servicing the oil rigs and drilling platforms that were flourishing in the North Sea (the oil itself is mostly piped into Shetland but Aberdeen has the resources for the heavy construction and resupply for the industry).

The city was built almost entirely out of stone from regional granite quarries which gives the city a rather grey, even austere, character. Here are some images I was able to capture during my transit through Aberdeen.

The high street

Despite its sometimes rather austere impact, Aberdeen has some fine architecture

The City Hall

St. Nicholas Kirk

Granite, granite everywhere...

In recent dacades Aberdeen has become the industrial centre for the construction and resupply of oil rigs and drilling platforms in the North Sea, and the harbour is crammed with service ships.

Many ships have purely functional and unromantic names like this Supply Express...

...though this one pays homage to the Norse God Odin

For me, Aberdeen has always been quite literally, a port, a gateway; the gateway to the Northern Isles as the ship I am on departs from Aberdeen harbour.

Farewell to the British Mainland...

Watch this space!