The third largest city in Scotland, Aberdeen is known as the `Granite City' and there are no points for guessing what the main constituent of most of the architecture in Aberdeen is.

Silver granite, glittering and unbelievably lovely has been used extensively as a building material in the city for centuries now, and some of its most beautiful monuments, like the Marischal College and the Cathedral of St Machar, are almost wholly of granite.

Aberdeen is situated in North Eastern Scotland, astride the rivers Dee and Don; and is, to all purposes, its economic centre- and has been so for quite long. Within the 20th century itself, oil was discovered offshore, and ever since drilling started, Aberdeen's wealth has been growing by leaps and bounds.

Aberdeen is well connected by road and rail to other cities in the UK, and there are air connections too. Aberdeen airport is an international one, with flights coming in from Amsterdam, Bergen, Copenhagen, and a few other European cities. In the city, you'll be able to find a fairly wide range of accommodation- all the way from plush, upmarket hotels to cozy inns, B&Bs and guesthouses- and lots of pubs, bars and restaurants. And the city, of course, has plenty to see.

Among the sights you mustn't miss are the Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museum- both very good collections, the 11-acre spread of Cruickshank Botanic Gardens, Marischal College & Museum (with a good collection of Greek, Scottish and Roman artifacts), the Cathedral of St Machar, Provost Skene's House, a very well preserved monument, now a local history museum, the Music Hall, and the medieval bridges of Brig o' Balgownie and the Old Bridge of Dee. Particularly important is Marischal College, which is the largest granite building in the world, and houses an excellent museum.

Close enough to the city to form a day's excursion are the Grampian mountains, and the nearby heather moors; both are a treat for anyone who's fond of trekking, climbing, or simply in love with Scotland.

For detailed country and visitor information, check out Scotland.