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Living and Working in Aberdeen

Photograph of Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen
Aberdeen is a lively, cosmopolitan city of some 220,000 residents located in North East Scotland

Aberdeen is a lively, cosmopolitan city of some 220,000 residents located in North East Scotland.

Photograph of Rubislaw GardensAlso known as the Granite City for the many buildings built of locally quarried grey granite, Aberdeen is most famous as being Europe’s energy capital — since the 1970s, the city has been the hub of the UK’s energy industry - but is also renowned for its beautiful architecture and as a gateway to Scotland’s spectacular castle and whisky country.

As Scotland’s third largest city, Aberdeen offers a great range of opportunities from its vibrant sports and social scene, its cultural events calendar, and its world-renowned research and education institutes.

The Aberdeen offices of the James Hutton Institute are located in Craigiebuckler, a leafy residential area in the south-west of the city.

Travel

Photograph of the Town House in AberdeenThe city is well served with regular bus routes operated by First Bus, and Stagecoach serves the Aberdeenshire area.

Options for travelling further afield include Megabus, which offers services to destinations including Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, and ScotRail, which offers train services to Inverness as well as to Edinburgh and Glasgow, both via Dundee.

The city also has an airport with regular services to London, Dublin, Manchester, Southampton and locations in Europe.

To help find your way around during the first few weeks, you can find more information on the VisitScotland website.

Social life

With a range of museums, art galleries, cinemas and concert venues, Aberdeen caters for all cultural, leisure and entertainment tastes. His Majesty’s Theatre, The Music Hall, Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, and The Lemon Tree regularly attract national and international artists and companies. The city boasts a number of cinema complexes and is home to Aberdeen Football Club and a range of first-class sports facilities.

Shopping

Union Street and the indoor shopping centres offer a wide range of well-known shops as well as designer boutiques, and an international street market is held at various times throughout the year. Hundreds of local events are organised throughout the year by the Council, event partners and the community.

Attractions

Photograph of Aberdeen BeachAberdeen has won the Britain in Bloom competition a record-breaking 10 times, and a number of parks and open spaces can be found close to the city centre, but within minutes of leaving the city centre, you could be surfing off the Aberdeen coast or walking in the heart of rural Aberdeenshire. A coastline of spectacular beaches and dunes stretch north of the city, while to the west lies nearby Royal Deeside, home to some of the most beautiful countryside in Scotland and the eastern gateway to the Cairngorms National Park.

Useful Links

Aberdeen City Council
Information and online services provided by Aberdeen City Council.

Aberdeenshire Council
Information and online services provided by Aberdeenshire Council.

Aberdeen Solicitors’ Property Centre (ASPC)
Website offering properties for sale and rent in the Aberdeen area.


Printed from /staff/living-and-working-aberdeen on 19/03/24 11:19:47 AM

The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.