Portal:University of Aberdeen

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Coat of arms of the university

The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated Aberd. in post-nominals; Scottish Gaelic: Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen and Chancellor of Scotland, petitioned Pope Alexander VI on behalf of King James IV to establish King's College, making it one of Scotland's four ancient universities and the fifth-oldest university in the English-speaking world. Along with the universities of St Andrews, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, the university was part of the Scottish Enlightenment during the 18th century.

The university as it is currently constituted was formed in 1860 by a merger between King's College and Marischal College, a second university founded in 1593 as a Protestant alternative to the former. The university's iconic buildings act as symbols of wider Aberdeen, particularly Marischal College in the city centre and the crown steeple of King's College in Old Aberdeen. There are two campuses; the predominantly utilised King's College campus dominates the section of the city known as Old Aberdeen, which is approximately two miles north of the city centre. Although the original site of the university's foundation, most academic buildings apart from the King's College Chapel and Quadrangle were constructed in the 20th century during a period of significant expansion. The university's Foresterhill campus is next to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and houses the School of Medicine and Dentistry as well as the School of Medical Sciences. Together these buildings form one of Europe's largest health campuses. The annual income of the institution for 2024–25 was £257.2 million of which £54.2 million was from research grants and contracts, with an expenditure of £262.5 million.

Aberdeen has educated a wide range of notable alumni, and the university played key roles in the Scottish Reformation, Scottish Enlightenment, and the Scottish Renaissance. Five Nobel laureates have since been associated with the university: two in Chemistry, one in Physiology or Medicine, one in Physics, and one in Peace. (Full article...)

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View of the brutalist Zoology Building
View of the brutalist Zoology Building

The Zoology Building is a building of the University of Aberdeen. During construction, the building collapsed in 1966, killing five people. The building was subsequently completed, with a similar design, in 1970. It contains the Zoology Museum, housing exhibits from the university's zoological collections, which include the only known egg from the Jerdon's courser, confirmed via DNA testing.(Full article...)

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William Guild
William Guild (1586–1657) was a Scottish minister, academic and theological writer. He was born in Aberdeen, educated at Marischal College, graduating MA. Later, while in Edinburgh, he made the acquintance of Lancelot Andrewes, as well as the King Charles I. He was translated on a second charge back to Aberdeen in 1631, becoming the first patron of the Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen. In August 1640 the principal of King's College, Dr. William Leslie, was expelled by covenanters, who appointed Guild to the position. He supported dismantling of the bishop's palace at Old Aberdeen, as well as the purging of the cathedral and the college chapel of their ornaments, however this was opposed by Andrew Cant. The visitation of King's College by Oliver Cromwell's military commissioners in 1651 led to Guild being deprived of office. He died in 1657, and was buried at the Kirk of St Nicholas; the William Guild Building at the University of Aberdeen is named after him. (more...)

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Built in stages from 1837 to 1906 by architects Archibald Simpson and Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, Marischal College is the second largest granite building in the world.
Built in stages from 1837 to 1906 by architects Archibald Simpson and Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, Marischal College is the second largest granite building in the world.
Built in stages from 1837 to 1906 by architects Archibald Simpson and Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, Marischal College is the second largest granite building in the world.

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On this day

Events for 29 August relating to the university, its predecessor colleges, academics and alumni. College affiliations (pre-1860, where known) are marked in brackets.

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