Memories of Aberdeen

This post is about the beautiful place where I had the opportunity to stay and work for a year.It is none other than the granite city Aberdeen.This place is very special to me because it helped me to look into myself and made me a better person.I was spell bound by the country side beauty of it and I fell in love with its gardens and the buildings.Its architecture and the less crowded streets.I like to go to places but not for a day or for a week ,I like to spend time knowing the people their culture their way of living and above all take in the beauty of the place slowly like how we would sip a cup of coffee sitting in the armchair near a fire place.so my exploration of this place was something like that i saw the summer there and the winter and my body and soul drenched in its beauty ,serenity and its pride.The buildings stand so proudly welcoming visitors the people understand their diverse nature of their city and try to accomodate the people from different parts of the world.come join me into this journey and i will take you through the places where i roamed and gazed taking in everything in its own stride. The latest official population estimate, for 2008, is 210,400.Aberdeen's architecture is known for its principal use during the Victorian era of granite, which has led to its local nickname of the Granite City or more romantically the less commonly used name the Silver City, since the quartz in the stone sparkles in the sun.
The hard grey stone is one of the most durable materials available and helps to explain why the city's buildings look brand-new when they have been newly cleaned and the cement has been pointed. Unlike other Scottish cities where sandstone has been used the buildings are not weathering and need very little structural maintenance on their masonry.

Unlike the roads in the UK the roads are very broad and the traffic eases very quickly because of the big roads.The main street here is the union street.It is like MG Road in India and High street in other places.it is a busy shopping centre and there is always a road side show of music from the highlanders near Mark's and Spencer.I spend my weekends doing shopping here and listening to the highlanders singing their favourite numbers.The other shopping centre in aberdeen is Nicholas centre.You find everything here:

In and around Union street there are STATUES which catches one's eye, it is like a treasure hunt for tourist.here are a few of them.

Everything about the place is beautiful.There is always the grey sky and pleasant drizzle hitting your face and the cold air reminds you that you are not very far from the artic circle. The Indian Resturant is always packed with people because the people love indian curries and takeaways.I used to sit on the roof of Nicolas centre and wonder what am I doing here and then turn around and look at people around me and say to myself it is an experience that God has given me to enjoy and treasure because I will never be able to do it again.Life smiled at me and said take it for you would be robbed of it very soon.My thoughts ran a bit too far and I used to stand in front of the cathedral looking up and smiling to myself at the simple thought of its simplicity.

The beautiful garden on my way home from school always lifts up my heart and gives me the assurance that nature towers above us and that we all are at its mercy.


One never misses the Mercat cross in aberdeen.Diagonally opposite the Tolbooth and adorned with a white unicorn stands the Mercat Cross, a medieval symbol of the Aberdeen's right to hold a market. On the town cross which was built in 1686 by Aberdeen's guild of merchants, the portrait medallions show the heads of the 10 Stuart monarchs from James I through to James VII, Charles I, Charles II and Mary Stuart.Only a few yards away stood the town residence of the Earl Marischal from whose window in 1562 Mary Stuart is said to have watched the execution of her cousin and admirer Sir John Gordon of Findlater. He had threatened Mary with a forced marriage but later found himself a victim of the "Aberdeen Maiden", a Scottish variation of the guillotine.

the people of aberdeen love flowers they not only decorate their houses with colourful flowers but even their garden and the main centres are all decorated with flowers during spring and summer.

Adjacent to where I lived was His Majesty's theatre. It is fantastic place to be in during the weekends there are musicals and plays all round the year.It is real treat to be there and anyone going there should experience this great place and the vibes it brings with it.

It would be unfair on my part if i do not talk about the harbour of aberdeen.Aberdeen Harbour is both one of Europe's most modern ports and according to the Guinness Book of Business Records - Britain's oldest businesses.
Through more than eight centuries, history traces the harbours increasingly important role in the development and prosperity of North-east Scotland.
The sheltered estuary of the River Dee is a natural harbour and its first use is lost in the mists of time. There is evidence of human habitation around 5,000 BC.Around 2,000 BC, immigrants from the Rhineland and Holland arrived, probably using the estuary as a base for fishing. The Romans may have used it to supply soldiers in the area.

My life in aberdeen was a memorable one and the beauty of the place and its closeness will ever remain as long as I live.I live to cherish those memories.