the name of two cities in Scotland, called the Old and New Town, situated on the German ocean, in W. Long. 2. 8. and N. Lat. 57. 8.

Old, is a place of great antiquity. According to tradition, it was of note in the reign of Gregory, who conferred on it some privileges about the year 803. In 1024, Malcolm II. founded a bishopric at a place called Mortlich in Banffshire, in memory of a signal victory which he there gained over the Danes; which bishopric was translated to Old Aberdeen by David I.; and in 1163, the then bishop of Aberdeen obtained a new charter from Malcolm IV. There is extant a charter of Alexander II. by which, in 1217, the king grants to Aberdeen the same privileges he had granted to his town of Perth.

The Old Town lies about a mile to the north of the New, at the mouth of the river Don, over which is a fine Gothic bridge, of a single arch, greatly admired, which rests on a rock on each side. This arch, said to have been built by a bishop of Aberdeen about the year 1200, is 67 feet wide at the bottom, and 34 1/2 feet high above the surface of the river, which at ebb tide is here 19 feet deep. The Old Town was formerly the seat of the bishop, and had a large cathedral commonly called St Machar's. Two very antique spires, and one aisle, which is used as a church, are now the only remains of it. The bishopric was founded in the time of David I. as above mentioned. The cathedral had anciently two rows of stone pillars across the church, and three turrets; the steeple, which was the largest of these turrets, rested upon an arch, supported by four pillars. In this cathedral there was a fine library; but about the year 1563, it was almost totally destroyed. But the capital building is the King's College on the south side of the town, which is a large and stately fabric. It is built in form of a square, with cloisters on the south side. The chapel is very ruinous within; but there still remains some wood work of exquisite workmanship. This was preserved by the spirit of the principal at the time of the Reformation, who armed his people and checked the blind zeal of the barons of the Mearns; who, after stripping the cathedral of its roof, and robbing it of the bells, were going to violate this seat of learning. They shipped their sacrilegious booty, with an intention of exposing it to sale in Holland; but the vessel had scarcely gone out of port, when it perished in a storm with all its ill-gained lading. The steeple is vaulted with a double cross arch; above which is an imperial crown, supported by eight stone pillars, and closed with a globe and two gilded Aberdeen crosses. In the year 1631 this steeple was thrown down by a storm, but was soon after rebuilt in a more stately form. This college was founded in 1494, by William Elphinstone bishop of this place, lord chancellor of Scotland in the reign of James III. and lord privy seal in that of James IV. But James IV. claimed the patronage of it, and it has since been called the King's College. The number of students in 1816-17 was 187. This college, and the Marischal College in the New Town, form one university, called the University of King Charles. The library is large, but not remarkable for many curiosities. Hector Boethius was the first principal of the college; and sent for from Paris for that purpose, on an annual salary of forty merks Scots, at thirteen pence each. The square tower on the side of the college was built by contributions from General Monk and the officers under him then quartered at Aberdeen, for the reception of students; of which about a hundred attend the college, many of whom lodge in it.

Aberdeen, New, is the capital of the shire of Aberdeen. For extent, trade, and beauty, it greatly exceeds any town in the north of Scotland. It is built on a hill or rising ground, and lies on a small bay formed by the Dee, deep enough for a ship of 200 tons, and above two miles in circumference.—The buildings (which are of granite from the neighbouring quarries) are generally four stories high; and have for the most part, gardens behind them, which give it a beautiful appearance. On the high street is a large church which formerly belonged to the Franciscans. This church was begun by Bishop William Elphinstone; and finished by Gavin Dunbar, bishop of Aberdeen, about the 1500. Bishop Dunbar is said likewise to have built the bridge over the Dee, which consists of seven arches. In the middle of Castle street is an octagon building, with neat bas relieves of the kings of Scotland from James I. to James VII. The town-house makes a good figure, and has a handsome spire in the centre. The grammar school is a low but neat building. Gordon's hospital is handsome; in front is a good statue of the founder: it maintains forty boys, who are apprenticed at proper ages. The infirmary is a large plain building, and sends out between eight and nine hundred cured patients annually. But the chief public building in the New Town is the Marischal College, founded by George Keith earl Marischal, in the year 1593; but since greatly augmented with additional buildings. In both the Marischal and King's college the languages, mathematics, natural philosophy, divinity, &c. are taught. The number of students in the session of 1816-17 was 212, besides 105 students of divinity, alternately attending each university. The convents in Aberdeen were, one of Mathurines or of the order of the Trinity, founded by William the Lion, who died in 1214; another of Dominicans, by Alexander II.; a third of Observantines, a building of great length in the middle of the city, founded by the citizens and Mr Richard Vans, &c.; and a fourth of Carmelites, or White Friars, founded by Philip de Arbuthnot in 1510.

Aberdeen, including the Old Town, is supposed to contain 25,000 inhabitants. Its trade is considerable, but might be greatly extended by an attention to the white fisheries.

The harbour was long a great detriment to its trade, Aberdeen, and occasioned the loss of many lives and much property. A stranger could never depend upon finding it as he left it; while vessels lay at anchor in the road till the tide should make, they have often been wrecked by storms which suddenly arose. It was very narrow at the mouth, having the easterly rocky point of the Grampian mountains on the south, and a flat blowing sand on the north, extending along the coast for many miles. By the easterly and north-east storms the sand was driven in a long ridge across the harbour's mouth, and formed what was called the bar. Upon this bar the depth of water at low tide was sometimes not above three feet. Clearing away the sand, though but a partial and temporary remedy, was a matter of great expense to the community. If it was cleared one week so as to have five or six feet of water at ebb, a fresh storm the next week undid all that had been done. The town at last came to the resolution of erecting a strong pier on the north side of the harbour. This pier is 1200 feet in length, and gradually increases in thickness and height as it approaches to the sea, where the head or rounding is 60 feet diameter at the base, and the perpendicular elevation is 38 feet. The whole is built of granite, which is a very durable stone: many of the outside stones are above three tons weight, with hewn beds. It was built under the direction of Mr Smeaton; and other extensive improvements have since been executed, the whole of which have cost about 120,000l. About 150 vessels belong to the port of Aberdeen, whose aggregate burden amounts to 17,131 tons. The principal exports are grain, fish, thread, hosiery, cotton and linen goods.

Aberdeen, like most of the other royal burghs of Scotland, has long been encumbered by its debts. In 1789, the town debt was something less than 12,000l. but from various causes it had increased so rapidly since that period, that in 1819 it amounted to 232,745l. 10s. The whole of the town revenues being insufficient to discharge the interest of this debt, the treasurer was under the necessity in February 1817 of declaring the burgh insolvent; and in consequence of this step all the burgh property, feu-duties, and funds, were made over to trustees. The magistrates then in office, in an address to their successors, published 19th September 1817, ascribed the embarrassed state of the burgh chiefly to the secrecy and concealment fostered by the system of self-election, and to the want of some control on the part of the citizens over the town's affairs. The election that followed not having been regularly conducted, was challenged by the burgesses, and set aside by the Court of Session. It was now expected that the magistracy would be restored by a poll election—the mode sanctioned by precedent in such cases; but the Privy Council issued a warrant in August 1818, directing the persons who had been in office previous to the irregular election, to meet and elect a new set of magistrates. This proceeding excited great dissatisfaction, not only because it appeared to be an infringement on the rights of the burgesses, but because it recalled those very men to office by whose mismanagement the affairs of the city had been brought to a state of insolvency, and most of whom had denounced the system as pernicious. The committee of the House of Commons which sat in 1819 on the subject of burgh reform, reform, reported on the case of Aberdeen. From this report, it appears that the town lands, which were formerly very extensive, had been alienated, with the reservation of very inadequate feu-duties. The fishings of the Dee and Don, now producing about 10,000l. a-year, were alienated for an annual feu-duty of 27l. 7s. 3d. The lands belonging to charitable establishments, of which the magistrates were only trustees, had been sold, and the proceeds applied to the city expenditure. The amount due to the various charities when the town became insolvent was about 89,000l. for which the charities receive only four per cent. The sum of 127,000l. had been borrowed under an act of Parliament, for building wet and graving docks, but the works were never executed. These, and other large sums borrowed by the magistrates, appear to have been dissipated in some ill-conducted plans of local improvement, which have made very trifling returns; and not only the citizens were ignorant of the burdens which were thus accumulating over their property, but very few of the magistrates themselves seem to have fully understood the state of the town's affairs. A statement, purporting to be an abstract of the town's affairs, was annually exhibited to the burgesses at Michaelmas; but this appears rather to have been for the purpose of deception than information; for, in 1810, when the town actually owed upwards of 140,000l., the whole debt, according to the statement shewn to the burgesses, was only 687l. 17s. 4d. The facts brought to light by the insolvency of Aberdeen, have roused the burgesses of most of the large burgis in Scotland to attempt some reform in the municipal government. Whether they shall succeed, may depend on circumstances; but it cannot be doubted that the existing system has a great tendency to encourage a wasteful expenditure, to repress public spirit, and to create jealousies between the magistrates and those whose welfare it should be their study to promote.

From a round hill, at the west end of the city, flow two springs, one of pure water, and the other of a quality resembling the German Spa. The population of Aberdeen in 1811 was 21,639. Aberdeen, with Aberbrothick, Brechin, Montrose, and Inverbervy, returns one member to parliament.