The silver city’s
black gold
How the riches of the North Sea have changed Aberdeen
By Graeme Smith
THE SCENE FOR THE THOUSANDS OF VISITORS who fly into Aberdeen for this year’s Offshore Europe exhibition and conference will be far removed from the one which greeted the North Sea oil pioneers arriving more than 40 years ago.
Now they touch down at a bustling European hub with the busiest civilian heliport in the world, but when the first commercial oil field was discovered in 1969 the terminal then was little more than a shed and the airport was in danger of being downgraded.
The discovery of black gold beneath the hostile waves off Scotland’s shores not only transformed the airport but also the ‘Silver City with the Golden Sands’ into the oil capital of Europe.
The ‘silver’ comes from the grey granite hewn from local quarries with which the city’s most distinguished buildings are built. These include Aberdeen University’s striking Marischal College, the second largest granite building in the world after Spain’s Escorial Palace.
The ‘golden sands’ refer to the miles of beach which stretch north from the city’s harbour which is at the heart of supply operations for the offshore industry, the cornerstone of the city’s economy.
OIL CITY
Energy has overtaken the traditional industries of fishing, paper-making and shipbuilding, ensuring Aberdeen has one of the country’s lowest unemployment rates, more millionaires in its West End than anywhere outside London, and an atmosphere of affluence.
Nowhere is that more obvious than along Queen’s Road where the mansions which were once the homes of the city’s most successful businessmen are now the offices of international oil companies.
Queen Victoria, atop a plinth, looks west along Queen’s Road and although seemingly less than amused, she is gazing in the direction of her beloved Balmoral Castle on Royal Deeside in the shadow of the Cairngorm mountains.
SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES
Balmoral now plays a key role in the area’s thriving tourist industry, although Balmoral does close to the public in late summer when the Queen retreats there for her annual break.
She comes here for the shooting, but almost every other sport is catered for, from skiing and snowboarding to fishing, mountain biking and hill walking. The top quality golf courses in the area draw visitors from every continent and flamboyant American billionaire Donald Trump is on the brink of creating a new luxury resort to the north of the city which will have “the world’s best links course” as its centrepiece.
PARKS AND GARDENS
A look down almost any street in the city is likely to reveal beautiful flowers. Aberdeen, famed for its roses, has won Britain in Bloom so often that for a spell it was banned from entering. It has taken the title a record 11 times and the Beautiful Scotland in Bloom ‘Best City Award’ on 38 occasions.
Visitors can enjoy the North Sea air on a walk along the two-mile beachfront taking a break to sample the fare at one of the numerous cafés and restaurants or perhaps to enjoy the rollercoaster or dodgems at the funfair on the links. There are several parks around the city and the Duthie Park includes the Winter Gardens, which are Europe’s largest gardens under glass and also contain the country’s biggest cacti collection in the country.
In Hazlehead Park there is a poignant reminder of the danger which oil workers face in their daily lives with the memorial to the 167 who died in the Piper Alpha disaster 21 years ago.
FOOD AND DRINK
Aberdeen and the surrounding area is world renowned for the food and drink which it produces – from Aberdeen Angus beef and shortbread to malt whisky and fish – and that can be sampled in the city’s restaurants.
One local delicacy which every visitor must try is the Aberdeen rowie – salty high fat rolls first baked for fishermen because they remained fresh longer at sea. Forget the waistline, especially if you top them with jam or butter: they should not be missed.
OFF SHORE EUROPE
8 – 11 SEPTEMBER, AT THE ABERDEEN EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE CENTRE
The exploration and production community converges on Aberdeen this month. It is here at Offshore Europe, the premier oil and gas conference and exhibition, where they’ll find new technological solutions and gauge the demands of a changing industry committed to ensuring security of supply in an increasingly complex world.
This September’s event will focus on the best routes for the industry to take if it is to equip itself, structurally and technically for the future. Sign up, and you can also benefit from some of the best technical knowledge, training and debate available, while networking with industry peers.
