During the mid-18th to mid-20th centuries, Aberdeen's buildings incorporated locally quarried grey granite, which may sparkle like silver because of its high mica content.

[10] Based upon the discovery of prehistoric villages around the mouths of the rivers Dee and Don, the area around Aberdeen is thought to have been settled for at least 6,000 years.

[16] In 1214, Aberdeen Burgesses were granted a Royal Charter by Alexander II of Scotland giving them the sole right to form a Guild.

Granted with it was the nearby Forest of Stocket, whose income formed the basis for the city's Common Good Fund which still benefits Aberdonians.

The increasing economic importance of Aberdeen and the development of the shipbuilding and fishing industries led to the construction of the present harbour including Victoria Dock and the South Breakwater, and the extension of the North Pier.

[29] A total of 98 civilians and 27 servicemen were killed, along with 12,000 houses damaged, after a mixture of 127 Incendiary, High Explosive and Cluster bombs were dropped on the city in one night.

Legend tells that its use dates from a password used by Robert the Bruce during the 14th century Wars of Scottish Independence, when he and his men laid siege to the English-held Aberdeen Castle before destroying it in 1308.

[34] In 2018, Aberdeen was found to be the best city in the UK to start a business in a study released by card payment firm Paymentsense.

A separate police commission was established in 1795 with powers to levy taxes and provide infrastructure ('police' in this context being its older meaning of civic government rather than law enforcement).

From 1818 until 1871 there was a dual system of local government, with the town council and police commission having different roles in Aberdeen's administration.

[39] In 1891 the city boundaries were significantly enlarged, absorbing the neighbouring burghs of Old Aberdeen and Woodside, plus the Torry area on the south bank of the Dee.

[49] When compared to mainland Europe, Aberdeen is further north than almost all of Denmark and plenty of southern Sweden, being just south of Gothenburg in terms of latitude.

Dyce tends to have marginally warmer daytime temperatures year-round owing to its slightly lower elevation, though it is more susceptible to harsh frosts.

The census in 2022 showed that Aberdeen has the highest proportion of non-religious residents of any city in Scotland, with 58% of citizens claiming to have no religion.

[80] St Machar's Cathedral was built twenty years after David I (1124–1153) transferred the pre-Reformation diocese from Mortlach in Banffshire to Old Aberdeen in 1137.

It was constructed in 1817 as Archibald Simpson's first commission and contains a memorial to the consecration of the first bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, which took place nearby.

[89] In-shore fishing was once the predominant industry but was surpassed by deep-sea fisheries, which derived a great impetus from improved technologies throughout the 20th century.

The steam trawling industry expanded and by 1933 Aberdeen was Scotland's top fishing port, employing nearly 3,000 men with 300 vessels sailing from its harbour.

[97] Geologists had speculated about oil and gas in the North Sea since the middle of the 20th century, but tapping its deep and inhospitable waters was another story.

Exploration commenced in the 1960s and the first major find in the British sector was in November 1970 in the Forties field, 110 miles (180 km) east of Aberdeen.

[99] With energy still providing the backbone of the local economy, recent years have seen very large new investment in the North Sea owing to rising oil prices and favourable government tax incentives.

[108] Alexander Marshall Mackenzie's extension to Marischal College on Broad Street, opened by King Edward VII in 1906, created the second largest granite building in the world (after the Escorial, Madrid).

[130] Coach services are operated by: Aberdeen Airport (ABZ), sited in Dyce in the north of the city, serves domestic and international destinations in France, the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Scandinavian countries.

Two popular shared-use paths, along old railway lines, are the Deeside Way to Banchory (which will eventually connect to Ballater) and the Formartine and Buchan Way to Ellon, both used by a mixture of cyclists, walkers and occasionally horses.

Originally devoted to the instruction and maintenance of the sons of poor burgesses of guild and trade in the city, it was reorganised in 1881 as a day and night school for secondary and technical education.

North East Scotland College has several campuses in the city and offers a wide variety of part-time and full-time courses leading to several different qualifications in science.

[146] The city has a wide range of cultural activities, amenities, and museums,[147] and is regularly visited by Scotland's National Arts Companies.

[180] The first ever recorded game of football, was outlined by teacher David Wedderburn in his book "Vocabula" written in 1633, during his time teaching at Aberdeen Grammar School.

[187] Other local teams include Banks o'Dee who play at Spain Park in the Highland Football League and members of the SJFA North Region; Culter, Dyce, Stoneywood Parkvale, Glentanar, Sunnybank Hall Russell United, Bridge of Don Thistle and Hermes.

[197] There are new courses planned for the area, including world-class facilities with major financial backing, the city and shire are set to become important in golf tourism.