10 facts about Aberdeen as today marks national trivia day
Aberdeen In the News Aberdeen City Centre Aberdeenshire
Shanay Taylor (Image: Mark Deans SWNS.COM) (Image: Getty Images) www.aberdeenlive.news shanay-taylor
As today (Wednesday January 4) marks national trivia day, we thought to comprise a list of 10 interesting and knowledgeable facts about Aberdeen to rack your brains
https://s2-prod.aberdeenlive.news/@trinitymirrordigital/chameleon-branding/publications/aberdeenlive/img/favicon.1a44f82ff35dc64c.ico
Aberdeen Live
I thought we'd start this piece with a fact - Today (Wednesday January 4) marks national trivia day.

In case you haven't guessed, we are proposing we honour trivia day by bringing our readers a lengthy sum of interesting and knowledgeable facts about the city we like to call home.

READ MORE: BrewDog CEO James Watt takes hilarious dig at watchdog after advert row

That's right get ready to rack your brains around Aberdeen's most interesting tales and stories as we take you down memory lane to briefly quiz you and help fill in any knowledge gaps you may never know otherwise.

The Granite City as told by 10 facts

1. Aberdeen is home to Scotland's oldest bridge

Brig o'Balgowrie is considered the oldest bridge in Scotland and dates back to the late 13th century. Legend has it that Robert the Bruce completed the bridge after Bishop Henry Cheyne started work towards the end of the 13th Century

The bridge we see today, crossing the River Don near Old Aberdeen and Seaton Park was built using the silvery grey granite that the city is famed for.

2. Aberdeen is known as the oil capital of Europe

Aberdeen earned its reputation as the oil capital of Europe after its significant impact in the oil and gas industry spanning over three decades.

The city itself is often used as a base for work in the north sea and beyond.

3. It is a haven for dolphins and basking sharks

If you keep your eyes peeled long enough, you just might spot an aquatic mammal or two. Some have even spotted an Orca in Aberdeenshire waters.

A popular place within the city to dolphin watch is Greyhope Bay. Next time you venture out with nothing to do, we suggest you head up to Greyhope Bay Centre for a cup of the city's most sustainable coffee and a chance to spy some cute sea life.

4. It's dubbed the "Granite City"

I guess the colour, or lack of, in the city centre coincides with this fact. It comes from the stunning stone that the city is largely made up of – locally-quarried granite was used to build many of Aberdeen’s most famous buildings.

5. Aberdeenshire is fit for Royalty

Home to Balmoral which has been owned by the British Royal Family since 1852, this is perhaps one fact that draws the bulk of our tourists to the area. We thought a fitting story as told by the Mirror, went with this fact.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II once played an innocent joke on a group of American tourists who failed to recognise her. Her Former protection officer Richard Griffin recalled the story as he previously said:

"There were two hikers coming towards us and the Queen would always stop and say hello. It was two Americans on a walking holiday and it was clear they hadn't recognised her, which was fine.

"The American man asked her if she lived in the area to which she replied that she did indeed have a house nearby.

"She said that she lived in London but had a house just over the hill, and he asked how often she had been coming up here.

"She said she'd been coming up for more than 80 years and you could see the cogs were ticking. He said: 'Well if you've been coming up here for 80 years, you must have met the Queen?'

"As quick as a flash, she said 'Well I haven't but Dick here meets her regularly.' So the guy asked me what she was like.

"And because I was with her a long time, I could pull her leg, so I said she could be very cantankerous at times, but she's got a lovely sense of humour.

"Anyway the next thing I knew, this guy comes round, puts his arm around my shoulder, and before I could see what is happening, he gives his camera to the Queen and asks her to take a photo of us.

"Anyway, we swapped places, I took a photo of them with the Queen, we never let on and we waved goodbye. Then Her Majesty said to me that she'd love to be a fly on the wall when he shows these photos to his American friends and hopefully someone tells him who I am."

6. Annie Lennox is from Aberdeen

That's right, legendary singer-songwriter was born in no other than the Granite City on Christmas Day.

But it wasn't always plain sailing for the future star- who famously took a job in a north-east fish factory to pay the bills.

The musical legend has been described as one of "the most original and unforgettably affecting artists in the modern annals of popular music."

7. Aberdeen is one of the luckiest places in the UK

Perhaps this is the only occasion where we will encourage you to purchase a lotto ticket while in Aberdeen.

There have been over 47 lottery millionaires made within Aberdeenshire and the AB postcode is one of the luckiest postcodes in the UK.

Around 276 prizes of over £50,000 have been snapped up by residents, all contributing to life-changing results.

8. Many people in Aberdeen speak with a Doric dialect

Understanding the lingo if you're not from this neck of the woods can be quite tricky. If you're feeling like taking a trip doon doric memory lane then click here for a list of our most famous phrases.

9. It's home to Cairngorms National Park which is twice the size of the Lake District

Being the UK's largest National Park, it is twice the size of the Lake District.

The Cairngorms National Park is home to tranquil lochs, challenging Munros, beautiful castles and historic events. The Cairngorms National Park is also the backdrop to many picturesque towns like Ballater and Braemar which are wrapped in authentic Scottish traditions.

10. Aberdeen is the third largest city in Scotland

Aberdeen is a major urban centre in Scotland – it’s the third-largest city, with a population of more than 200,000 people.

Home to a fleet of quant shops and cafes, there is something for everyone to explore in the Granite city.

We hope our trivia lesson managed to inspire you to dig deeper and learn a bit more about the place we spend so much time in.

It's more interesting than you think!

Do you know any facts about Aberdeen? Let us know in the comments below

READ MORE:

Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire flood warning as heavy rain and hill snow expected

Two Aberdeen murals in running for worldwide street art award

Fall in teacher numbers shows ‘properly funded’ pay increase is needed

Aberdeenshire sees record wildlife numbers in 'great year' for protected species