Aberdeen is an attractive city in which to live, from the buzz of a cosmopolitan city centre to the green park, open spaces and sandy beaches.
Welcome to Scotland's third largest city - a place with a lively combination of historic charm, thriving economy and cosmopolitan community. Aberdeen, home to 250,000 people, is the perfect centre for work, leisure and play.
Big enough for the ‘big city’ experience, student-friendly Aberdeen is compact enough to make it easy to find your way around and make friends. From the historic 15th century University campus in Old Aberdeen it’s just a short bus ride to the bustling city-centre of Europe’s energy capital. Local crime rates are low, and the University operates a ‘Safe Campus’ code for the benefit of students.
Aberdeen is an attractive city in which to live, with its abundance of green parks and open spaces. To the east of the city lie the North Sea and a coastline of sandy beaches, while to the west stretches Royal Deeside, the beautiful valley of the River Dee. It’s just half-an-hour from the buzz of Union Street to the tranquillity of the nearby hills and countryside in one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland. Where else can you have lectures in the morning and ski in the afternoon, or sail, or wind surf, or hill climb, or canoe or...? From seaside to mountainside – it is all on your doorstep at Aberdeen! Look on our website for the huge range of sports and other activities waiting for you at Aberdeen.
The Night-life
At night Aberdeen really lights up with a night-life second to none. The huge variety of pubs and clubs ranges from trendy nightclubs, to cosy, old world pubs full of atmosphere and everything in between.
A vibrant music scene includes regular major tours by the biggest names around and an eclectic mix of venues and dance floors promote the home-grown talent of local acts and Djs.
With a student population of over 50,000, Aberdeen caters for all tastes in arts, culture, leisure and entertainment. Aberdeen has lots to offer, with the well-known His Majesty’s Theatre, Music Hall and Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) regularly attracting national and international artists and companies. Four cinema multiplexes, Art Gallery, Maritime Museum and first-class sports and leisure facilities means there is always plenty going on.
Culture
The University is committed to supporting a wide range of cultural activities. Highlights include the Director’s Cut series that attracts leading film-makers to Aberdeen to discuss their work and Cafe Scientifique which explores big questions in science. University Music offers a programme of concerts throughout the academic year, while the University’s Music Prize is now an established international composition event.
Shopping 
Aberdeen has everything a city in the UK should have and more.You’ll find all the major supermarket and retail chains here, with four large city-centre shopping malls, including the piazza-style Academy and new Union Square. From high street stores and designer boutiques to quirky independent outlets and thrift shops, shopaholics will be delighted by the quantity and quality of places on offer.
More for Your Money
You may be surprised to hear that students find Aberdeen a cheaper city to live in than Edinburgh or Glasgow. If you need to boost your budget, Aberdeen City and Shire’s buoyant local economy means there is no shortage of holiday and part-time work. Visit www.ausa.org.uk for more information.
More Information
For more information about Aberdeen, you can have a look at some of these websites:
The University of Aberdeen has teamed up with the Lonely Planet to create an exclusive new travel guide and iphone app showcasing all that the Granite City has to offer students:
- Lonely Planet Study Aberdeen Guide
- Download the iphone app to your computer here or search "Study Aberdeen" in the app store
