Aberdeen City is a council area on the north-east coast of Scotland, covering the city of Aberdeen and a ring of suburbs and villages around it. It had a population of 224,021 at the 2022 census and covers 186 square kilometres (72 sq mi), which makes it Scotland’s third largest city by population after Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The city sits between the mouths of the rivers Dee and Don, 93 miles (150 km) north-east of Edinburgh. Its Gaelic name, Obar Dheathain, means “mouth of the Don”. Local people call it the Granite City, after the grey stone quarried at Rubislaw that built most of the centre.
| Country | Scotland, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Status | Council area and city |
| Area | 186 km2 (72 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | 224,021 |
| Population (2011) | 222,793 |
| Density | 1,204 people per km2 |
| Council | Aberdeen City Council, Marischal College |
| Rivers | Dee and Don |
| Postcode area | AB |
Towns and Villages in Aberdeen City
The council area is dominated by Aberdeen itself, but it also takes in outlying villages along the Dee and the Don and up the coast. These are the named settlements inside the boundary.
- Aberdeen
- Ashtown
- Bankhead
- Beidleston
- Benthoul
- Berryhill
- Bieldside
- Blacktop
- Bodachra
- Bridge of Don
- Bucksburn
- Camphill
- Caskieben
- Charlestown
- Cloverhill
- Cove
- Craibstone
- Cults
- Danestone
- Denmore
- Dubford
- Forrit Brae
- Kingswells
- Mains of Dyce
- Mains of Grandhome
- Mid Anguston
- Middle Bodachra
- Middleton Park
- Milltimber
- Mundurno
- Nether Kirkton
- Newhills
- North Tarbothill
- Old Aberdeen
- Perwinnes
- Peterculter
- Redmoss
- Shielhill
- Stoneywood
- Upper Kirkton
- Walton
- West Cults
Within the built-up area, Aberdeen is made up of these districts and neighbourhoods.
- Altens
- Craigiebuckler
- Cummings Park
- Dyce
- Ferryhill
- Footdee
- Garthdee
- Gilcomston
- Heathryfold
- Kaimhill
- Kincorth
- Kittybrewster
- Mannofield
- Mastrick
- Middlefield
- Nigg
- Northfield
- Ruthrieston
- Seaton
- Sheddocksley
- Stockethill
- Summerhill
- Tillydrone
- Torry
- Tullos
Geography
Aberdeen City is surrounded on every landward side by Aberdeenshire, and faces the North Sea to the east. The Dee enters the sea at the harbour in the south of the city; the Don reaches it two miles north, at the Bridge of Don.
The ground rises inland from a two-mile beach between the two river mouths. Suburban villages such as Cults, Bieldside, Milltimber and Peterculter run west along the Dee valley on the old Deeside railway line, now a walking and cycling route. Cove sits on the cliffs to the south, Dyce and Bucksburn on the Don to the north-west.
Demographics
The 2022 census counted 224,021 residents, up 1,228 on 2011. Growth was slower than the Scottish average, and the city lost people during the oil-price downturn after 2015 before recovering.
Aberdeen has a young age profile by Scottish standards, driven by two universities and a large offshore workforce. It is also one of the more internationally mixed places in Scotland: a substantial share of residents were born outside the UK, many working in energy, healthcare or higher education.
At roughly 1,204 people per square kilometre, Aberdeen City is the fourth most densely populated council area in Scotland.
Economy and Local Life
Oil and gas built the modern city. Aberdeen has been the onshore base for the UK North Sea industry since the early 1970s, and the harbour and the heliport at Dyce still serve the offshore fields. The industry now employs fewer people than at its peak, and the same engineering base is moving into offshore wind, hydrogen and decommissioning.
The other big employers are the two universities, NHS Grampian at Foresterhill, and the harbour. The University of Aberdeen was founded in 1495 and is the fifth oldest in the English-speaking world; Robert Gordon University sits at Garthdee on the Dee. Aberdeen Harbour’s South Harbour expansion at Nigg Bay opened in 2023 and takes cruise ships and larger cargo vessels.
Union Street is the main spine of the centre, running a mile from Castlegate to Holburn Junction. Aberdeen Football Club plays at Pittodrie, beside the beach.
History
Aberdeen grew from two separate burghs. Old Aberdeen, around St Machar’s Cathedral and King’s College on the Don, was the church and university town; New Aberdeen, around the Castlegate and the Dee harbour, was the trading port. They were merged in 1891.
The city traded fish, wool and cattle with the Baltic and the Low Countries for centuries, then built clipper ships in the 1800s and ran a large trawl fleet from the harbour. Granite quarrying at Rubislaw, once the deepest man-made hole in Europe, supplied stone for buildings across Britain until the quarry closed in 1971. The discovery of North Sea oil in 1969 changed the city’s economy inside a decade.
Getting There
The A90 is the main road, running south to Dundee and north to Fraserburgh. The A96 leaves for Inverness through Dyce, and the A93 follows Deeside towards Braemar. The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, opened in 2019, carries through traffic around the west of the city.
Aberdeen station serves the East Coast Main Line to Edinburgh and London, the line to Inverness via Inverurie and Huntly, and the Caledonian Sleeper. Aberdeen International Airport is at Dyce, six miles north-west, with flights to UK cities, European hubs and the offshore heliports. Ferries run from the harbour to Kirkwall and Lerwick.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Aberdeen?
The Aberdeen City council area had 224,021 residents at the 2022 census, up from 222,793 in 2011.
Is Aberdeen the third largest city in Scotland?
Yes. Glasgow and Edinburgh are larger; Dundee, with 148,697 people, is fourth.
What villages are in Aberdeen City?
Peterculter, Milltimber, Bieldside, Cults, Kingswells, Newhills, Bridge of Don, Bucksburn, Dyce and Cove all lie inside the council boundary.
Which council covers Aberdeen?
Aberdeen City Council, based at Marischal College on Broad Street. The surrounding countryside is run separately by Aberdeenshire Council.
What is Aberdeen’s postcode area?
AB. City postcodes run from AB10 to AB25, with AB21 to AB23 covering Dyce, Bridge of Don and the northern edge.
Why is Aberdeen called the Granite City?
Most of its older buildings are faced in local grey granite, quarried at Rubislaw and Kemnay from the 1740s onwards.