The network of transportation in Aberdeen is widespread and complex like that of any major city. It is currently receiving the attention of politicians in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
who have acknowledged that there has been underinvestment over the past few decades in keeping the infrastructure in line with the needs of the city.
As an ancient city,
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
has some beautiful infrastructure features such as the
Brig o' Balgownie and the
Bridge of Dee
The Bridge of Dee or Brig o Dee ( gd, Drochaid Dhè) is a road bridge over the River Dee in Aberdeen, Scotland. The term is also used for the surrounding area of the city. Dating from 1527,Richards, J.M., ''The National Trust Book of Bridges ...
. Like any other city, the advent of cars has however seen the creation of less beautiful infrastructure such as the Anderson Drive dual carriageway and the Haudagain Roundabout which sees constant tailbacks.
Airport and heliport
Aberdeen Airport
Aberdeen International Airport ( gd, Port-adhair Eadar-nàiseanta Obar Dheathain) is an international airport, located in the Dyce suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately northwest of Aberdeen city centre. A total of just under 3.1&nbs ...
, in the neighbouring town of Dyce, serves primarily UK and European destinations for passenger and freight flights. It is also the busiest
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
terminal in the world, serving the many
North Sea oil
North Sea oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons, comprising liquid petroleum and natural gas, produced from petroleum reservoirs beneath the North Sea.
In the petroleum industry, the term "North Sea" often includes areas such as the Norwegian Sea ...
offshore installations. Via commercial airlines, connections are available via London Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam airports to many worldwide destinations. The
IATA airport code for the airport is ABZ. A regular airport bus service (route 727 operated by
Stagecoach Bluebird) connects the airport directly with the city centre at
Broad Street and the bus and railway stations at
Union Square
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
.
Railway
Historical
Aberdeen was connected to the railway network from the south with the opening of
Aberdeen Ferryhill railway station
Aberdeen Ferryhill railway station was the temporary terminus of the Aberdeen Railway and the first railway station to serve the city of Aberdeen. Regular passenger service began on 1 April 1850. As the station is located some distance south of ...
in 1850. Three years later, the
Deeside Railway
The Deeside Railway was a passenger and goods railway between Aberdeen and Ballater in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Opening in 1853 to Banchory, an extension reached Aboyne in 1859. A separate company, the Aboyne & Braemar Railway, built an exten ...
opened and the following year the railway was extended to
Guild Street. From the north, the
Great North of Scotland Railway
The Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) was one of the two smallest of the five major Scottish railway companies prior to the 1923 Grouping, operating in the north-east of the country. Formed in 1845, it carried its first passengers the fro ...
opened its terminus at
Kittybrewster
Kittybrewster ( gd, Cuidhe Briste) is an area within Aberdeen, Scotland, north of the city centre and roughly south-west of Old Aberdeen.
Transport
Within the area the A9012 road joins the A978 road; there are also several railway tracks, on ...
in 1854. A new terminus,
Aberdeen Waterloo, opened two years later. The two railways weren't connected until 1867 when the
Joint station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
opened at the site of the present day Aberdeen railway station.
Aberdeen formerly had a suburban rail service affectionately known as the "subbie" which operated between
Culter and
Dyce
Dyce ( gd, Deis) is a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, situated on the River Don about northwest of the city centre. It is best known as the location of Aberdeen Airport.
History
Dyce is the site of an early medieval church dedicated to the 8 ...
. The service to Dyce began on 1 July 1887 and the service to Culter began seven years later. These services were withdrawn on 3 April 1937.
As with many parts of the UK rail network, several lines out of Aberdeen were closed in the 1960s. For example, the
Deeside Railway
The Deeside Railway was a passenger and goods railway between Aberdeen and Ballater in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Opening in 1853 to Banchory, an extension reached Aboyne in 1859. A separate company, the Aboyne & Braemar Railway, built an exten ...
which ran west of the city to
Ballater opened in 1853 but the
Beeching Report Beeching is an English surname. Either a derivative of the old English ''bece'', ''bæce'' "stream", hence "dweller by the stream" or of the old English ''bece'' "beech-tree" hence "dweller by the beech tree".''Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames' ...
led to the closure of the line in 1966. The line is now a popular walk and cycle route, the
Deeside Way
The Deeside Way is a rail trail that follows, in part, the bed of the former Deeside Railway in Aberdeenshire. Forming part of the National Cycle Network (National Route 195) the trail leads from Aberdeen to Ballater.
The route
The pathway r ...
. Further lines running north to the commuter town of Ellon and to Peterhead were also closed around this time.
Present day
There are two railway stations in Aberdeen.
The main city-centre station is located on Guild Street, adjacent to
Union Square
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
which offers a
covered interchange with the bus station. The only other station in Aberdeen City is
Dyce
Dyce ( gd, Deis) is a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, situated on the River Don about northwest of the city centre. It is best known as the location of Aberdeen Airport.
History
Dyce is the site of an early medieval church dedicated to the 8 ...
to the north.
ScotRail services connect Aberdeen to all six other Scottish cities, including
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
and
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, and many intermediate destinations. These services make use of the
Dundee–Aberdeen line
The Dundee–Aberdeen line is a railway line linking Dundee and Aberdeen in Scotland.
History
The present line was built by three companies. The first section to open was the line from Dundee to Arbroath in 1838, constructed by the Dundee and ...
and
Aberdeen–Inverness line. High-speed inter-city services operated by
London North Eastern Railway connect Aberdeen to London via Edinburgh in just over seven hours on the
East Coast Main Line. A regular stopping service, also run by ScotRail, serves Aberdeen along with all stations between
Inverurie
Inverurie (Scottish Gaelic: ''Inbhir Uraidh'' or ''Inbhir Uaraidh'', 'mouth of the River Ury') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland at the confluence of the rivers Ury and Don, about north-west of Aberdeen.
Geography
Inverurie is in the va ...
and
Montrose. Inter-city services operated by
CrossCountry connect Aberdeen to south-west England and numerous intermediate destinations such as
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...
,
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
,
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
and
Exeter. In addition, the
Caledonian Sleeper
''Caledonian Sleeper'' is the collective name for overnight sleeper train services between London and Scotland, in the United Kingdom. It is one of only two currently operating sleeper services on the railway in the United Kingdom, the other b ...
service makes an overnight journey to/from
London Euston
Euston railway station ( ; also known as London Euston) is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden, managed by Network Rail. It is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line, the UK's busiest inter-city rail ...
six days a week.
Buses
Historical
Bus services form the main public transportation system in Aberdeen since the closure of the tram network. Most city buses are operated privately by
(First's global headquarters are located in the city, on
King Street). When bus services in the UK were privatised in the 1980s, those in Aberdeen were the subject of a management buy-out. The resulting company developed into FirstGroup following a number of mergers and acquisitions over the years. First Aberdeen has been criticised by local politicians and in the media for taking advantage of its monopoly with high fares and mediocre service. The company has defended its frequent fare rises as being necessary due to high running costs and cuts to government subsidies.
There was formerly a limited
night bus
Night service, sometimes also known as owl service, refers to the public transport services operated during the night hours. These services are operated, mainly using buses but in certain cases using trams (or streetcars), not including int ...
service, the night bus network having been cut back in October 2018. Night buses were discontinued during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
Former routes
Present day
have the largest share of routes in the city. They operate a hub-and-spoke network - the majority of routes begin at an outskirt or suburb, run through the city centre (often via at least part of
Union Street) and then out to another suburb. For example, route 1 runs from Danestone in the north, to the city centre along Union Street, then out to Garthdee in the south-west. Services run at intervals from approximately every 15 minutes (during the day) to every 30 minutes (in the evening and on Sundays). Many of the routes date back to those formerly operated by trams. When the tram system was closed in the 1950s, the same routes were replaced by diesel buses. Many of these same routes, with minor alterations, still run today.
Stagecoach Bluebird also operate a single cross-city route; their route 59 operates between Northfield and Balnagask via the city centre and
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) is the largest hospital in the Grampian area, located on the Foresterhill site in Aberdeen, Scotland. ARI is a teaching hospital with around 900 inpatient beds, offering tertiary care for a population of over 600, ...
.
Aberdeen bus station
Aberdeen bus station is a bus station in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is operated by Stagecoach Group.
History
A single central bus station in Aberdeen was first considered in the 1950s, with a site in Upper Denburn selected by W. Alexander & Sons. ...
is the terminus for Stagecoach services to outlying villages and towns. Services include the
Jet 727
The Jet 727 is an airport bus service between Aberdeen bus station and Aberdeen Airport via the P&J Live operated by Stagecoach Bluebird.
History
The route was introduced by Stagecoach Bluebird in partnership with Aberdeen City Council in Au ...
, a frequent service linking the bus station at Union Square to
Aberdeen Airport
Aberdeen International Airport ( gd, Port-adhair Eadar-nàiseanta Obar Dheathain) is an international airport, located in the Dyce suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately northwest of Aberdeen city centre. A total of just under 3.1&nbs ...
, the
X7 Coastrider
The X7 Coastrider is an hourly bus route between Perth and Aberdeen via Dundee operated by Stagecoach East Scotland. The service runs seven days per week.
History
The route was introduced on 12 September 2011 and was initially operated by a fl ...
, and the
Buchan Express
The Buchan Express is a series of bus routes starting in Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of ...
. The city is the northern terminus of the X7 which runs to
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
via
Dundee and many towns along the route. These services and other Stagecoach buses that start at the bus station also pick up and drop off passengers within the city itself.
Longer-distance and inter-city buses also operate from the bus station at Union Square. Frequent services to other Scottish cities are operated by
Scottish Citylink
Scottish Citylink is a long-distance express coach operator in Scotland and Ireland (where it operates as Irish Citylink) and England (where it operates as Stansted Citylink). The company was formed as a subsidiary of Scottish Transport Group i ...
and
Megabus Megabus may refer to:
*Megabus (Europe), a low-cost coach service with services in Europe owned by ComfortDelGro.
*Megabus (North America)
Megabus, branded as megabus.com, is an intercity bus service of Coach USA/ Coach Canada operating in the ...
, including the luxury
Citylink Gold service to and from Glasgow.
National Express
National Express Group is a British multinational public transport company headquartered in Birmingham, England. It operates bus, coach, train and tram services in the United Kingdom, Ireland (National Express operates Eurolines in conjunction ...
operates services to and from London via a number of towns and cities as well as
Heathrow Airport.
A night service from Aberdeen bus station to surrounding settlements was reintroduced for December 2022 and will run on Friday and Saturday nights up to Christmas. The services, operated by Stagecoach, are funded by Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen Inspired and are free of charge.
Current intracity routes
All current intracity routes apart from the 9U and 32 operate via
Union Street. All routes are operated by First Aberdeen apart from the 14, 59 and 727.
Hydrogen buses
Ten
Van Hool
Van Hool NV () is a Belgium, Belgian family-owned coachbuilder and manufacturer of buses, Coach (bus), coaches, trolleybuses, and Semi-trailer, trailers.
Most of the buses and coaches are built entirely by Van Hool, with engines and axle ...
A330H
hydrogen-powered buses were introduced in 2015 as part of a scheme to demonstrate the capabilities of the technology. They ran until 2020, and one was subsequently gifted to the
Grampian Transport Museum
Grampian Transport Museum is a transport museum and charitable-based trust located in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Its exhibits chart the history of transport in the north east of Scotland through dramatic displays, working and climb-ab ...
. On 28 January 2021, fifteen hydrogen-powered double-decker
Wright StreetDeck Hydroliner
The Wright StreetDeck is an integral double-decker bus that was manufactured by Wrightbus from 2014, originally delivered as standard with a Daimler OM934 diesel engine. Hybrid-electric, full-electric and hydrogen-powered variants have subseq ...
buses, funded by
Aberdeen City Council
gd, Comhairle Cathair Obar Dheathain
, native_name_lang =
, other_name =
, image_skyline = Town House, Municipal Offices and Court Houses in Aberdeen.jpg
, image_caption ...
, the
Scottish Government, and the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
, entered service with First Aberdeen. In February 2022, the StreetDeck Hydroliners were temporarily taken off the road due to an unspecified technical issue. Diesel buses loaned from
First Glasgow
First Glasgow is the largest bus company serving the Greater Glasgow area in Scotland. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup. The company operates within the area covered by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, a public body responsible for h ...
were used in their place, and the affected batch of Hydroliners returned to service in mid-2022, coinciding with the delivery of 10 more StreetDeck Hydroliners.
The buses are refuelled at a facility located in Aberdeen City Council's
Kittybrewster
Kittybrewster ( gd, Cuidhe Briste) is an area within Aberdeen, Scotland, north of the city centre and roughly south-west of Old Aberdeen.
Transport
Within the area the A9012 road joins the A978 road; there are also several railway tracks, on ...
depot. The energy company
Vattenfall announced, at the beginning of 2022, a proposed demonstrator project to use one of its existing offshore wind turbines to produce hydrogen on the platform itself, and then pipe it to a storage area close to Aberdeen. The production rate from the 8.8MW turbine is targeted to reach 0.18 cubic metres of hydrogen per hour.
Future
Improvements to buses in Aberdeen are planned as part of a project dubbed in January 2022 as "Aberdeen Rapid Transit".
Roads
There are six main roads into and out of the city:
* The
A92 runs north to the
Blackdog
Blackdog is a hamlet approximately 2 miles north of the city limits of Aberdeen, Scotland.
The nearby area serves as a shooting ground, interchange, where it joins the
A90 for
Ellon Ellon may refer to:
*Ellon, Aberdeenshire
Ellon ( gd, Eilean) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, approximately north of Aberdeen, lying on the River Ythan, which has one of the few undeveloped river estuaries on the eastern coast of Scotla ...
,
Peterhead
Peterhead (; gd, Ceann Phàdraig, sco, Peterheid ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement (the city of Aberdeen itself not being a part of the district), with a population of 18,537 at the 2011 Census. ...
and
Fraserburgh
Fraserburgh (; sco, The Broch or ; gd, A' Bhruaich) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland with a population recorded in the 2011 Census at 13,100. It lies at the far northeast corner of Aberdeenshire, about north of Aberdeen, and north of ...
.
* The
A947 exits the city at
Dyce
Dyce ( gd, Deis) is a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, situated on the River Don about northwest of the city centre. It is best known as the location of Aberdeen Airport.
History
Dyce is the site of an early medieval church dedicated to the 8 ...
and goes on to
Oldmeldrum
Oldmeldrum (commonly known as Meldrum) is a village and parish in the Formartine area of Aberdeenshire, not far from Inverurie in North East Scotland. With a population of around 2,187, Oldmeldrum falls within Scotland's top 300 centres of popu ...
and
Turriff
Turriff () is a town and civil parish in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. It lies on the River Deveron, about above sea level, and has a population of 5,708. In everyday speech it is often referred to by its Scots name ''Turra'', which is derived f ...
, ending at
Banff.
* The
A96 links to
Elgin and
Inverness in the north-west, passing through
Inverurie
Inverurie (Scottish Gaelic: ''Inbhir Uraidh'' or ''Inbhir Uaraidh'', 'mouth of the River Ury') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland at the confluence of the rivers Ury and Don, about north-west of Aberdeen.
Geography
Inverurie is in the va ...
,
Huntly
Huntly ( gd, Srath Bhalgaidh or ''Hunndaidh'') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, formerly known as Milton of Strathbogie or simply Strathbogie. It had a population of 4,460 in 2004 and is the site of Huntly Castle. Its neighbouring settlement ...
and
Keith
Keith may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Keith (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters
* Keith (surname)
* Keith (singer), American singer James Keefer (born 1949)
* Baron Keith, a line of Scottish barons ...
.
* The
A944 exits the city to the west, passing through
Westhill before following
Donside to
Alford,
Strathdon
Strathdon (; Gaelic: ''Srath Dheathain'') is an area in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is situated in the strath of the River Don, 45 miles west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. The main village in the strath is also called Strathdon, although it was ...
and
Corgarff.
* The
A93 follows
Deeside
Deeside ( cy, Glannau Dyfrdwy) is the name given to a predominantly industrial conurbation of towns and villages in Flintshire and Cheshire on the Wales–England border lying near the canalised stretch of the River Dee that flows from nei ...
west to
Banchory
Banchory (, sco, Banchry, gd, Beannchar) is a burgh or town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is about west of Aberdeen, near where the Feugh River meets the River Dee.
Prehistory and archaeology
In 2009, a farmer discovered a short cist bu ...
,
Aboyne
Aboyne ( sco, Abyne, gd, Abèidh) is a village on the edge of the Highlands in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on the River Dee, approximately west of Aberdeen. It has a swimming pool at Aboyne Academy, all-weather tennis courts, a bowling green and ...
,
Ballater and
Braemar, then turns south, providing an alternative tourist route to Perth.
* The
A92 south joins the
A90 at
Stonehaven
Stonehaven ( , ) is a town in Scotland. It lies on Scotland's northeast coast and had a population of 11,602 at the 2011 Census.
After the demise of the town of Kincardine, which was gradually abandoned after the destruction of its royal cast ...
, then continues as the coastal route by
Inverbervie
Inverbervie (from gd, Inbhir Biorbhaidh or ''Biorbhaigh'', "mouth of the River Bervie") is a small town on the north-east coast of Scotland, south of Stonehaven.
Etymology
The name ''Inverbervie'' involves the Gaelic ''Inbhir Biorbhaigh'', ...
,
Montrose and
Arbroath to
Dundee and on into
Fife, whilst the A90 from Stonehaven provides the primary route to Dundee,
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
and
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
.
The A90
Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), unofficially also the City of Aberdeen Bypass, is a major road that wraps around the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. The road stretches north from Stonehaven through Kincardineshire and crosses both t ...
opened in stages during 2018 and 2019 and provides a bypass around the city from Blackdog in the north to Stonehaven in the south, diverting traffic away from the city centre and from the city's original ring road, Anderson Drive, built in the 1920s.
Bridges
Aberdeen's two main rivers, the
Dee and
Don
Don, don or DON and variants may refer to:
Places
*County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON
*Don (river), a river in European Russia
*Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name
*Don, Benin, a town in Benin
*Don, Dang, a vill ...
are currently crossed by a variety of bridges, varying from modern structures to older stone bridges dating back hundreds of years.
River Dee crossings
The
River Dee is crossed by a number of bridges, from east to west:
*
Victoria Bridge
*
Queen Elizabeth Bridge
The Queen Elizabeth Bridge is a road bridge just to the west of the town of Windsor, Berkshire, England.
The bridge carries the A332 Royal Windsor Way across the River Thames, on the reach between Romney Lock and Boveney Lock. The bridge wa ...
*
Wellington Suspension Bridge
The Wellington Suspension Bridge (also known as the Chain Bridge and Craiglug Bridge) is a suspension bridge crossing the River Dee from Ferryhill to Craiglug in Aberdeen, north east Scotland. Designed by Captain Samuel Brown and the Aberdeen ...
*Railway bridge carrying the
Dundee–Aberdeen line
The Dundee–Aberdeen line is a railway line linking Dundee and Aberdeen in Scotland.
History
The present line was built by three companies. The first section to open was the line from Dundee to Arbroath in 1838, constructed by the Dundee and ...
*
King George VI Bridge
The King George VI Bridge is a bridge over the River Dee in Aberdeen, Scotland.
The foundation stone of the bridge was laid by the Lord Provost Edward W. Watt on 15 September 1938. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth in the presence ...
*
Bridge of Dee
The Bridge of Dee or Brig o Dee ( gd, Drochaid Dhè) is a road bridge over the River Dee in Aberdeen, Scotland. The term is also used for the surrounding area of the city. Dating from 1527,Richards, J.M., ''The National Trust Book of Bridges ...
*
St Devenick's Bridge (disused)
*
Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), unofficially also the City of Aberdeen Bypass, is a major road that wraps around the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. The road stretches north from Stonehaven through Kincardineshire and crosses both t ...
bridge
*Maryculter Bridge
Maryculter Bridge links the North and South Deeside roads near the village of
Maryculter
Maryculter () or Kirkton of Maryculter is a village in the Lower Deeside area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The River Dee separates it from the town of Peterculter, and the B979 road runs through Maryculter. Maryculter House Hotel lies slightly ...
close to the boundary of the council area, the bridge is earmarked for expansion as part of the proposed
Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), unofficially also the City of Aberdeen Bypass, is a major road that wraps around the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. The road stretches north from Stonehaven through Kincardineshire and crosses both t ...
to bypass the city.
Victoria Bridge was completed in 1887, following a
ferry disaster in 1876 which claimed the lives of 32 people returning from a visit to the Bay of Nigg. It was made possible by the 1871 channelling of the
River Dee which had previously followed an unstable course to the sea. The bridge has facilities for carrying water and gas services across the river.
Queen Elizabeth II Bridge opened in 1983.
Wellington Suspension Bridge is very narrow and was designed by
Captain Samuel Brown and opened in 1831 to replace the Craiglug ferry. Refurbished in 1930, the Category A listed building was closed to vehicular traffic in 1984 and to pedestrians in March 2002 due to structural concerns. However it was refurbished and re-opened as a pedestrian bridge in 2008.
River Don crossings
The
River Don is crossed by a number of bridges, from east to west:
*
Bridge of Don
Bridge of Don is a suburb in the north of Aberdeen, Scotland. In , the Bridge of Don electoral ward was estimated to have a population of 19,545.
Bridge of Don is split into four areas for statistical purposes by Aberdeen City Council and Poli ...
*
Brig o' Balgownie
*
Diamond Bridge
*Grandholm Bridge
*Persley Bridge
The Bridge of Don has five granite arches, each 75 ft (23 m) in span, and was built 1827–1832. A little to the west is the Auld
Brig o' Balgownie, a picturesque single arch spanning the deep black stream, said to have been built by
King Robert I, and celebrated by
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...
in the tenth canto of "
Don Juan
Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary, fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. Famous versions of the story include a 17th-century play, ''El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra'' ...
". It is closed to motor vehicles. The Grandholm Bridge is a private bridge, constructed for the Crombie Mills in the 1920s. Access to the bridge, other than for pedestrians and bicycles, is now controlled by an electronically activated barrier, passes for which are made available to residents of the housing development constructed on the site of the mills in 2004.
The
A92 road
The A92 is a major road that runs through Fife, Dundee, Angus, Aberdeenshire, and Aberdeen City in Scotland. From south to north, it runs from Dunfermline to Blackdog, just north of Aberdeen.
History
The A92's original route in southern ...
uses Persley Bridge.
Sea
Aberdeen Harbour was the first publicly limited company in the United Kingdom and is today the principal commercial port in northern Scotland and an international port for general cargo, roll-on/roll-off and container traffic. The harbour also serves
NorthLink Ferries
NorthLink Ferries (also referred to as Serco NorthLink Ferries) is an operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, as well as ferry services, between mainland Scotland and the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland. Since July 2012, it has been oper ...
, which sail to
Kirkwall
Kirkwall ( sco, Kirkwaa, gd, Bàgh na h-Eaglaise, nrn, Kirkavå) is the largest town in Orkney, an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland.
The name Kirkwall comes from the Norse name (''Church Bay''), which later changed to ''Kirkv ...
,
Orkney and
Lerwick,
Shetland. The
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Aberdeen Maritime Museum is a maritime museum in Aberdeen, Scotland.
The museum is situated on the historic Shiprow in the heart of the city, near the harbour. It makes use of a range of buildings including the former Trinity Congregational C ...
(on Shiprow in the city centre) includes exhibitions and displays which tell the story of the harbour and its role in the economy and development of the city.
Originally, the defective harbour, with a shallow sand and gravel bar at its entrance, retarded the trade of Aberdeen, but under various acts since 1773 it was greatly deepened.
By the
Aberdeen Harbour Act 1868, the
River Dee near the harbour was diverted from the south at a cost of £80,000, and 90 acres (364,000 m
2) of new ground, in addition to 25 acres (101,000 m
2) formerly made up, were provided on the north side of the river for the Albert Basin (with a graving dock), quays and warehouses. A 1,050 ft (320 m) long concrete
breakwater
Breakwater may refer to:
* Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour
Places
* Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia
* Breakwater Island
Breakwater Island () is a small island in the Palme ...
was constructed on the south side of the stream as a protection against south-easterly gales. On
Girdleness, the southern point of the bay,
a lighthouse was built in 1833.
''The North Pier,'' built partly by
John Smeaton
John Smeaton (8 June 1724 – 28 October 1792) was a British civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses. He was also a capable mechanical engineer and an eminent physicist. Smeaton was the fi ...
1775–81, and partly by
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE, (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scot ...
1810–15, extends nearly 3,000 ft (1000 m) into the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...
and raised the bar.
''Victoria Dock'', named in honour of the queen's visit to the city in that year, is a wet dock of 29 acres (117,000 m
2) and with 6,000 ft (1,800 m) of quay, was completed in 1848
''Upper Dock'' adjoins Victoria Dock.
Ferry services to the Northern Isles
NorthLink Ferries
NorthLink Ferries (also referred to as Serco NorthLink Ferries) is an operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, as well as ferry services, between mainland Scotland and the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland. Since July 2012, it has been oper ...
provides daily vehicle and foot-passenger service to
Lerwick, Shetland, and regular service to
Kirkwall, Orkney. On this route it operates two vessels, ''Hjaltland'' and ''Hrossey''. These services arrive and depart at the ferry terminal which can be accessed off Market Street. The vessel can usually be clearly seen from the street when docked.
Trams
The last
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
ran on 3 May 1958. All but one were then scrapped; the last is on display in the Grampian Transport Museum at
Alford, Aberdeenshire.
Future
A new
dual carriageway, the Berryden Corridor, is currently planned to be built within the city.
A project called Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) has been discussed. Although it has been described as "tram like", the system is expected to use buses. In 2021, the scheme was successful in bidding for
Transport Scotland
Transport Scotland ( gd, Còmhdhail Alba) is the national transport agency of Scotland. It was established by the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005, and began operating on 1 January 2006 as an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government.
Organisa ...
's Bus Partnership Fund, and received £12 million of funding. Renderings were revealed in November 2022 with more details expected to be released in 2023. The system is expected to cost £150 million.
See also
*
Causey Mounth
The Causey Mounth is an ancient drovers' road over the coastal fringe of the Grampian Mountains in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This route was developed as the main highway between Stonehaven and Aberdeen around the 12th century AD and it continu ...
*
Green Spaces and Walkways in Aberdeen
The Scottish city of Aberdeen has a number of green spaces and walkways. The parks, gardens and floral displays which include 2 million roses, 11 million daffodils and 3 million crocuses have led the city to win the Royal Horticultural Societ ...
*
Transport in Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a major transport hub in east central Scotland and is at the centre of a multi-modal transport network with road, rail and air communications connecting the city with the rest of Scotland and internationally.
Transport is an a ...
*
Transport in Glasgow
The city of Glasgow, Scotland has a transport system encompassing air, rail, road, and an underground light metro line. Prior to 1962, the city was also served by trams. Commuters travelling into Glasgow from the neighbouring local authorities o ...
*
Transport in Scotland
The transport system in Scotland is generally well-developed. The Scottish Parliament has control over most elements of transport policy within Scotland, with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity holding portfolio ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport In Aberdeen
Aberdeen Harbour
Aberdeen Harbour, rebranded as the Port of Aberdeen in 2022, is a sea port located in the city of Aberdeen on the east coast of Scotland. The port was first established in 1136 and has been continually redeveloped over the centuries to provide ...