Aberdeen is Scotland's third largest city, and sits on the North Sea between the Dee and Don Rivers. The city is one of Scotland's most important ports and serves as the main transit for oil from the North Sea. Aberdeen is the capital of the Grampian Highlands in Scotland.
Aberdeen received a charter from William the Lion (King of Scotland) in 1179, and in 1319, the Great Charter of Robert the Bruce confirmed Aberdeen as an independent community. The city played important roles during the 500 years of Scottish/English warfare, and it survived a 17th century bubonic plague epidemic.
King's College was founded in 1495 by William Elphinstone (1431-1514), bishop of Aberdeen and chancellor of Scotland. Marischal College, a separate institution was founded 1593. These institutions were combined in 1860 to form the current University of Aberdeen. The university is the fifth-oldest higher education institution in the English-speaking world.
The common local Scots dialect spoken in Aberdeen is called Doric. The dialect mixes Gaelic, Norse, English and French to form a unique language often difficult to understand by outsiders, even from other regions of Scotland. Each year, the Doric Festival is held in Aberdeenshire to celebrate this unusual dialect.
The climate in Aberdeen is most inviting to tourists during the summer months. Even then, the average temperature rarely reaches above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Aberdeen is easily accessible by plane, train, bus and car from other areas of the United Kingdom. Aberdeen is also one of the U.K.'s largest port of calls for cruise ships and ferries touring the U.K. and other northern European countries.
