Worrall's directory of the North-Eastern counties of Scotland ...

DlRECTOET.] ABERDEEN. 299
Esq. Two newspapers are published daily in Aberdeen,
in addition to several weeklies. The names of
the papers and publishers, with the days of issue,
wiU be found under the head Newspapers in the
classified list of the Directory. The newspapers
generally are ably edited and largely circulated
amongst all classes of the community in the city and
the north of Scotland and other parts of the Kingdom.
The number of newspapers circulated amongst the
working classes is very gTeat, owing to the crechtable
fact that however humble the Aberdonian labourer
may be he is able to read and write. Aberdeen is
largely resorted to for sea bathing purposes in the
summer season. The beach, extending several miles,
being composed of fine hard sand, is especially
adapted for the purpose. Bathing carriages and hot
sea water baths have been established on the beach
by the Messrs. Duncan, who during the past season
have received well-merited enconiums from their
numerous visitors. In several quarters of the city
are numerous interesting sjDecimens of old street
architecture. The streets that have been laid out
and the buildings erected, however, during the past
half century are in striking contrast to the older
portions of the town. The principal street. Unionstreet,
is one of which the Aberdonians are justly
proud, being of great length and width, the buildings
being erected with due regard to uniformity in style
of architecture, the material (grey granite) employed
in their construction presenting a light and cleanly
appearance. Various improvements are projected in
different parts of the city, and will probably ere longbe
carried out. The construction of a bi'idge across
the new channel of the Dee is now hkely to be proceeded
with ; the site selected will probably be in a
line with Market-street. The fearful catastrophe by
which 32 lives were lost on the sacramental fast day
in the spring of 1875, caused by upsetting of the ferry
boat to the Torry side of the river, has demonstrated
the necessity of the erection of the bridges without
further delay. The various institutions of a charitable,
social, educational, and humane character are
numerous, and will not allow description in this
portion of the work, but can be found under the
head Public Buildings, &c., in the Directory.
CHUECHES AND CHAPELS.
The East and West Churches are one buildiag in
the Gothic style of architecture, erected on the site of
the ancient parish church of St. Nicholas. St.
Clement's or Foot Dee Church has a tower 45 feet
high, with a clock presented by the magistrates.
Greyfriars or College Church stands on the east of
Broad-street, near Marischal College. St. Andrews
or Scotch EpiscopaUan Chapel, in King-street, is an
elegant edifice built in 1813. The South Church, in
Belmont-street, is in the Gothic style. The North
Church, in King-street, is a handsome building in the
Grecian style. Old Machar Church is situated at the
north extremity of Old Aberdeen in the parish of Old
Machar. In adcfition to these places of worship,
there are others for various denominations, the names
of which, with their ofiBciating ministers will be
found on a subsequent page.
The two colleges which form the University of
Aberdeen are very ancient seminaries of learning.
King's College ia Old Aberdeeh, and Marischal Col-
lege, near Mars Castle, the former was instituted in
1494, and the later building was finished in 1841 at a
cost of .£38,000. The Grammar School is at the west
end of the town, and is a handsome building in the
Scotch baronial style. The Asylum for the Blind
is in Huntly-street. The inmates are taught various
trades, and manufacture ropes, twines, nets, baskets,
matting, &c. The Institution for the Education of
the Deaf and Dumb in Belmont-street is well worthy
of mention. The Old Mill Eeformatory School is
conducted on principles that have elicited the approbation
of numerous visitors from all parts of the
Kingdom, the same remarks apphes to the Industrial
School, Skene-square, where, under the management
of Mr. Shearer and assistants the boys and girls are
taught various trades to enable them on leaving the
school to earn a respectable livelihood. C. P. Euncy,
Esq., advocate, Aberdeen, is the secretary of both these
institutions. There are various other educational
institutions a list of wliich will be found in the dhectory
The accommodation in the Old Post Office not being
sufficiently ample to meet the rapidly increasing business
of the department particularly since the purchase
of the telegraphs by Government a handsome
new building has been erected at the foot of Marketstreet,
wliich affords ample room for the present and
immediate future requirements of the city. The following
figures will give some idea of the increase of
post office business since the year 1866. Letters, &c.,
delivered at Aberdeen in 1866 was 72,538 per week,
3,771,976 in the year; in 1870, 80,556 per week;
4,188,912 in the year; in 1875, 90,126 per week;
4,686,552. The money orders issued and paid during
the year 1875 were :—Head office—issued, 29,684
value, .£55,836 10s. 7d. Branch offices—issued, 8,732;
value, 13,576 l7s. Id. Totals—issued, 38,416;
value, .£69,413 7s. 8d. Head office—paid, 51,563;
amount, .£98,764 16s. 6d. Branch offices—paid, 620
amount, .£880 I7s. Totals— paid, 52,183 ; amount,
^99,645 13s. 6d.
The market for cattle is held weekly on Wednesday.
Friday is the general weekly market day for corn,
agTicultural produce of all kinds, merchandise, &c.,
the markets are largely attended. The wool fail's in
Aberdeen are held on the last Thursday and Friday
in June and the Thursday and Friday of
the first and second weeks in July. Hiring or
feeing markets for farm, &c., servants are held on the
Fridays before and after the 26th of May and on the
Fridays before and after the 22nd November.
OLD ABEEDEEN is about a mile to the north of
the city, in the parish of Old Machar. The principal
curiosity in the neighbourhood is the old bridge,
which crosses the river Don by one Gothic pointed
arch, the only structure of the kind in Scotland, said
to have been erected by Eobert Bruce. The parish
of Old Machar lies in the peninsula between the Dee
and the Don, where they join the ocean, being from
seven to eight miles in length and four in breadth.
NIGG is a parish in Kincardineshire, bounded on
the north by the Dee, and on the south and west by
Banchory-Davenick. It is four miles in length and
two in breadth. The coast is bold and rocky, the
north-east point, called Girdleness, is a remarkable
promontory, and forms the south side of the estuary
of the Dee.
this parish.
The villages of Torry and Cove are ia
; . ;