Gazetteer of Scotland

ABE
ai;k
were narrow, dense, and ill-built; but they
have from time to time, down to 1881,
been so improved and extended as to
make it one of the finest cities in Great
Britain. Castle Street, in its centre, is a
large, grandly-edificed rectangle. Union
Street, extending thence about -J mile to
the west-south-west, is both remarkably
well-edificed in itself, and commands
striking views of other parts of the city.
King Street, extending northward from
Castle Street, is little inferior to Union
Street ; and a number of other thorough-
fares are straight, spacious, and pleasing.
The Municipal and County Buildings,
in Castle Street, were erected in 1865-69,
at a cost of about £60,000. The post
office, at foot of Market Street, was
erected in 1872-76, at a cost of about
£16,000. Ihe North of Scotland Bank, at
south-west corner of Queen Street, was
erected in 1839, at a cost of £14,000. The
Music Hall buildings, in Union Street,
were completed about 1855, at a cost of
£16,500. The theatre, in Guild Street,
was erected in 1872, at a cost of nearly
£8000. The Market Cross.in Castle Street,
a singularly complex ornamental struc-
ture, was erected in 1686, and reconstructed
in 1842. A bridge, spanning a ravine in
the line of Union Street, was erected at a
cost of £13,342. Victoria Bridge, across
the Dee, in line of Market Street, was
completed in 1881, at a cost of fully
£20,000. The Prince Consort's Monu-
ment, at south end of Union Terrace, was
inaugurated in 1863. The Duke of Gor-
don's Monument, in Castle Street, is a
colossal granite statue. Sir "William
Wallace's Monument, in front of Union
Terrace, was projected in February 1880.
St. Nicholas Established church, off Union
Street, was originally a cathedral-like,
cruciform edifice, suffered partial destruc-
tion by fire in 1874, and was restored at a
cost of about £15,000, before the end of
1878. The North Established church, in
Queen Street, was erected in 1826, at a cost
of £10,500. The East and West Free
churches, in Belmont Street, form one
imposing cruciform edifice. Other Pres-
byterian churches. Established, Free, and
United Presbyterian, are modern and
good. The Congregational chapel, in
Shiprow, was erected in 1867, at a cost of
more than £5500. St. Andrew's Episco-
palian church, in King Street, was erected
in 1817, at a cost of £8000, and acquired a
new chancel in 1880. St. Mary's Episco-
palian church, in Carden Place, was
erected about 1864. The Roman Catholic
church, in Huntly Street, was erected in
1860, and contains 1200 sittings. Maris-
chal College, in Broad Street, was erected
in 1837-41 ; occupies the site of previous
buildings dating from old times ; and in
1S60 was constituted one university with
King's College in Old Aberdeen. The
Old Academy, long famous for producing
distinguished scholars, was voted in May
1880 to be converted into a museum of
science and art. A public school in Com-
merce Street, one of 5 new schools
provided by the burgh school board, was
built in 1876, at a cost of about £4500.
The Infirmary, at "Woolmanhill, was
erected in 1840, at a cost of about £17,000.
The Lunatic Asylum, in the north-western
outskirts, was completed in 1819, at a cost
of about £20,000. A public park at Allen-
vale was begun to be formed in August
1881, and comprises about 47 acres.
The city has a head post office with all
departments ; 6 sub-offices, with each a
money order department ; railway com-
munication northward, north-westward,
westward, and southward ; 2 head
banking offices, 6 branch banking offices,
and. numerous hotels ; contains 12 Estab-
lished churches, 19 Free churches, 6
United Presbyterian, 5 Congregational,
2 Evangelical Union, 3 Baptist, 5 Episco-
palian, and 6 of other denominations ;
had formerly 90 schools for 12,708
scholars, and now has 86 schools for
14,677 ; publishes 3 daily newspapers
and 5 weekly ; carries on large manu-
factures of linens, woollens, and cottons,
and much business in iron works,
breweries, distilleries, granite polishing
works, shipbuilding yards, and other
establishments ; and conducts extensive
export of its own produce, and of
grain and fish. Its harbour lies within
the Dee's mouth, comprehends an
elaborate series of artificial works,
cost long ago about £500,000, and was
designed in 1876, and recommended
again near the end of 1S80, to undergo
further extension. The vessels belonging
to the port at end of 1879 were 178
sailing vessels, of 98,763 tons, and 45
steam vessels, of 20,421 tons ; and the
arrivals in that year were 2030 British
vessels, of 486,581 tons, and 143 foreign
vessels, of 34,566 tons ; the departures,
1985 British vessels, of 479,218 tons,
and 137 foreign vessels, of 33,175 tons.
The parliamentary burgh sends 1
member to Parliament, and the university
unites with Glasgow University in sending
another. Real property of the burgh in
1SS0-81, £429,267. Pop. in 1881, 105,003.
ABERDEEN (OLD), suburb, adjacent to
the river Don, about a mile north of
Aberdeen. It became the seat of a
bishopric in 1154, acquired a university
in 1494, and was long a rival to Aberdeen,
but is now small, quiet, and semi-rural,
and has a post office, with money order
department, under Aberdeen. The nave
of its cathedral still stands, measures 126
by 68 feet, has a very fine western window,
and is used as Old Machar parish church.
King's College was built in the 16th
century, underwent much renovation and
improvement subsequent to 1859, and has
a tower surmounted by a stone crown.
similar to that of St. Giles' Church in
Edinburgh. The arts and divinity classes