Scotland > 1868, 1878 - Slater's (late Pigot & Co.'s) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland > 1861

M'mtorg.
Etatansfnre*
ABERDEEN AND ITS VICINITY.
BERDEEN, a city and the capital of the county to
rtiich it gives name, is 109 miles nearly north from
Jdi'i burgh, 103 s.e. by e. from Inverness, and 501 fron
jondon, and by means of its rail communication, it
ossesses easy access to any part of the United King
oni. Aberdeen is of great an'iqnitv, and is supposed
» have been kaown to the Humans by the name ol
~)evuna. Antecedently to this period, all relating to
ny history of Aberdeen, or its oiigin, is involved in
bscurity; and for many ages aftei, no records appear
o afford any authentic accounts relating to it. Abei-
ieen is probably among the earliest of the hureh,> in
Icotland found entitled to any royal mark of disiinc-
ion ; and, from various circumstances occurring in
listory, it is reasonable to presume that at a very early
etiod it Wis a p'ace of some commerce. As far hack
s 1153 it seems to have been known as such to the
"loimans; an'l in M icptiersonN treati e on commerce
t is observed that, in the year 1179, Esteyti, oife of the
aint kings of that country, landed and pillaged the
own, in the course of a piratical cruise along the Bri-
UBsh coast. In early times Aberdeen was frequently
isited hy royalty ; and it appears that King William,
uruauied the Linn, had an edifice for his occasional
esidence heie, which was situated at the lower side of
he town, near the east end of whatis called the Green,
i nd was dignified by the ti'leof Palace: this edifice he
j fterwaids bestowed on the monks of the Holy Trinity,
fvho were about ttiat time introduced into Scotland.
the county. It is composed of that beautiful grey gra-
nite for which Aberdeen is so noted, and represents
his grace in a martial cloak and head uncovered, with.
one foot placed upon a cannon, and both hands sup-
ported by a sword. The pedestal is a square slab of
granite, and the entire height of the whole is about
twentv feet. In the town-house is the town's armoury,
ii! which are deposited about three hundied stands of
muskets, an ancient coat of mail, the standard carried
by the citizens at the battle of Harlow, and other war-
like implements; also the axe of the machine known
by the name of the maiden, which in times of old was
Used for decapitating criminals, and the furniture of
?he provost's charger, when he attended as commis-
sioner (or the town, at the coronation of King Charles I
at Edinburgh. The court-house was commenced in
the year 1818, and first opened in 1820. It stands
belli- d the town-house, and is connected with it. The
principal entrance is from Castle-street, by a Gothic
doorway, and a handsome stone stair leads to the ves-
tibule of the court on the fir-t floor. The bridewell is
situated towards the west, of the town, and is sur-
rounded with a wall fourteen feet high, enclosing a
gat den, and airing grounds for the prisoners. The en-
trance is from Union-street, through a handsome gate-
way, to which are attached a porter's lodge and a
guard-house. The public assembly or county- rooms,
iiite>ded chiefly for the accommodation of the united
meetings of the counties of Aberdeen, Banff, Kincar-
4er present Majesty Queen Victoria has visited Aber- dine and Forfar, are in Union-street, ueartheentrauce
leen, and distinguished several of its inhabitants in 'of the town from the south. This elegant edifice is
msiness, by her patronage while residing at B dmoral
-louse. A mac tiiumphal arch marks the spot where
he landed on the quay. The first charter that was
•btained by Aberdeen is supposed to have originated
tbout the year 1179, and granted by King William,
[vhich confirmed to the burgesses the power of enjoy-
ug their trade of merchandise as freely, quietly, fully,
\no honouiably as their ancestors did in the time of
•lalcnliu, his grandfather : this charter was dated ai
'erth. King William afterwards granted two other
hitters: both these, which were dated at Aberdeen,
!!8th August, are still in a sia'e of good preservation,
mil have the great seal of Scotland, in green wax, ap
peuded to each. The great charter was granted by
Charles 1, and is dated at Oatlands, 1638: all previous
matters are by it confirmed — this charter was also
subsequently cjii firmed by parliament. From these
locumetits, and other historical accounts, it is heyond
^11 doubt that trade and commetce were a prevailing
pursuit at that time, which have progressively extended
themselves to this period, hy the industry and enter-
prising spirit so long characteristic of the inhabitants.
This is uowthe third city iu Scotlandin populatioi ,rank
stid opulence, and may justly be called the capital of
tije north of Scotland.
Situation, Streets, Buildings, ™c. — Aberdeen
is pleasantly situated upon an eminence rising gradually
fiom the sea, tl.e beach presenting' a beautiful even
[surface of fine haid sand. When the tide is receding,
a person may walk for many miles alung the shore,
and con'eiupiate a noble expanse of the German ocean,
which, from the town, has a fine appearance, and adds
to tin- branty of its picturesque situation. The new
stiee^are spacim:*, unifoim, and elegant; the houses
are built of granite stone, which the neighbourhood
[produces. A noble street, named Union -street, run-
ning to the south, is particularly handsome. About
the middle of this tine street, a magnificent granite
bridge, designed hy Teltoid, of one arch, spanning one
hundred and thirty feet, is thrown across a ravine,
throiith wh'ch runs a brook called the Denburn, and
divides the old r parts of it from the more modern and
fashionable. This latter part has been all built within
the lasi fifty years, and is of very considerable extent.
There are two other fine streets, namelv, King-street
and George-street— the former haudsoniejand the latter-
wide and regular. The town-house, gaol, and new
coun-honse are situated in Castle-street. In the centre
of this street stands a highly finished statue ot George,
tue late Duke of GprdoD, erected by the gentlemen of
decorated with a portico of six columns of the Ionic
order, thirty feet in height. The principal eutrance,
under the portico, leads into an outer vestibule, having
a flight of six steps conducting to the grand saloon.-
which is sixty feet in length and twenty feet iu breadth,
and is divided into three compartments by fluted Ionic
columns, with ornamented capitals and corresponding
pilasters. The centre part is thirty-two feet high, and
the ceiling is a dome, finished with coffering. In the
middle of the building, and opening into the saloon,
through a screen of columns, is a spacious gallery or
piomenade, seventy feet in length, finished with pilas-
ters, Hiid an arched and panelled ceiling. It commu-
nicates on one side with the ball room, and on the
other side with the supper or refreshment room, and
ihe card-saloon. The end of the gallery opens into tne
hanqueting-room, which is of the same dimensions
wiih the- ball-room; the walls are finished with pilas-
teis, in imitation of Sienna marble, with ornamented
capitals. The whole forms a superb suite of rooms,
opening into each other by folding doors, and present-
ing vistas the full length of the building. The expense
of election was £11,500.; the fouudation-sione was
laid on the 26th of April, 1820, hy the Right Honble.
James, Earl of Fife : the building was designed by the
laie Archibald Simpson, Esq. The Corn Exchange,
greeted in 1854, is the property of a joint-stock com-
pany; the cost of election was about £1,000. The
maiket cross, near the western extremity of Castle-
street, cannot be too highly admired, whether as an
architectural object or as an antiquarian curiosity. It
is of a hexagonal form, with a pillar rising from the
centre. In a cornice around the upper part of the
structure are twelve compartments for figures cut in
relief: ten of these contain the portraits of Scottish
monarch's; the last of the series being James VII, in
whose time the edifice was completed. This fine
erection was once removed by the magistrates as a
nuisance, but was afterwards restored by civic autho-
rities of better taste. The market-house, which s»and«
in Market-street, is one of the largest and most beau-
tiful buildings of its kind in the kingdom : it was erected
by a joint stock company, and opened in 1842. ft
contains two floors and north and south galleries. In
the west end of the market is a beautiful fountain of
polished Peterhead granite. The theatre, iu Maris-
chal street, is finished in a very neat style, and has
accommodation for about six hundred persons: this
erection cost near £3,000 The barracks, on the Castle-
hill, are fitted up for the convenience of six hundied
VO
21i*