Aberdeenshire, SCT - Postcode - AB31 5JS

Aberdeenshire

One of the 32 council areas that make up Scotland is called Aberdeenshire.

Aberdeen County, from which it takes its name, is a completely different geographical entity. The area administered by the Aberdeenshire Council comprises the entirety of the former counties of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire, with the exception of the City of Aberdeen, and a portion of Banffshire. Counties are used for a few official functions, including land registration and lieutenancy. 

Aberdeenshire Council is unique among Scottish councils in that its headquarters, Woodhill House, are located outside of the county. The city of Aberdeen itself is in its own council district (Aberdeen City). Bordering counties to the south include Angus and Perth and Kinross, to the west are Highland and Moray, and to the east is Aberdeen City.

The primary sector (including agriculture, fishing, and forestry), as well as related processing industries, have historically fueled the economy there. Aberdeenshire's economy has diversified thanks to the growth of the oil and gas industry and related service sector over the past 40 years, and the region's population has increased by roughly 50% since 1975. The area it occupies accounts for 8% of Scotland's total land mass. It's 6,313 square kilometers in size (2,437 sq mi).

Economy

An estimated £3,496M in GDP was produced in Aberdeenshire in 2011, or 5.2% of Scotland's total. The economy of Aberdeenshire is intertwined with that of Aberdeen City (GDP £7,906M), and in 2011 it was estimated that the region as a whole accounted for 16.8% of Scotland's GDP. The combined Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City economic forecast GDP growth rate is 8.6% between 2012 and 2014, which is higher than the Scottish rate of 4.8% and the highest growth rate of any local council area in the UK. 

Aberdeen City is the workplace for a large percentage of Aberdeenshire's working population; the percentage varies from 11.5% in Fraserburgh to 65% in Westhill.

In 2011, full-time workers in Aberdeenshire earned a median gross weekly wage of £572.60. This is 2.6% less than what it was in 2010, and it's £2.10 less than the Scottish average. Residents of Aberdeenshire earn a significantly higher average gross weekly wage of £741.90 than those of the rest of the UK because so many of them commute out of the county, most to Aberdeen City. 

Aberdeenshire's total employment is estimated at 93,700 people (not including farm data) (Business Register and Employment Survey 2009). The service industry, especially government, schools, and hospitals, employs the vast majority of the labor force. Almost one-fifth of all workers are employed by the government. Many residents of Aberdeenshire work in the oil industry, which keeps the county's economy tied to that of Aberdeen City and the North Sea.

In 2011, Aberdeenshire's unemployment rate (as measured by the number of people filing for unemployment benefits) averaged 1.5% per month. The national average is 3.8%, while Scotland's is 4.2%, and Aberdeen City's is 2.3%.

Key Economic Sectors

Energy: The energy sector is a major one in Aberdeenshire, with a lot of relevant infrastructure, presence, and expertise. Peterhead serves as a pivotal hub for the global energy market. With its large new quay and adjacent lay down area at Smith Quay, Peterhead Port is a crucial hub for supplying the burgeoning North Sea oil and gas exploration and production industry, as well as the global sub-sea sector. St. Fergus Gas Terminal supplies about 15% of the United Kingdom's natural gas needs, and Peterhead Power Station may soon be the site of the country's first carbon capture and storage power generation project. Offshore wind farms are abundant in coastal areas.

Fishing: If you're interested in fishing, you should head to Aberdeenshire, which is Scotland's premier fishing region. Over half of all Scottish fish landings in 2010 came through ports in Aberdeenshire, and nearly 45 percent of all UK landings. A large number of jobs in these fields are located in Aberdeen City and the ports of Peterhead and Fraserburgh. There are plenty of salmon in the River Dee.

Agriculture: Aberdeenshire has a lot of farmland and is famous for its cattle farms; the agricultural industry employs around 9,000 people. Sheep play a crucial role in the mountains.

Tourism: Due to the many interesting attractions in the region, the tourism industry is booming. Aberdeenshire offers a little bit of everything, from the lively Cairngorm Mountain range to the bustling fishing ports on the north-east coast. Aberdeenshire is a popular tourist destination due to its beautiful landscape, which includes a rugged coastline and numerous sandy beaches. In 2011, there were nearly 1.3 million visitors, a 3% increase from the year before.

Hydrology and Climate

Cowie Water, Carron Water, Burn of Muchalls, River Dee, River Don, River Ury, River Ythan, Water of Feugh, Burn of Myrehouse, Laeca Burn, and Luther Water are just a few of the rivers and burns that run through Aberdeenshire. Along Aberdeenshire's coastline you'll find a number of bays and estuaries, such as Banff Bay, Ythan Estuary, Stonehaven Bay, and Thornyhive Bay. As per the Köppen climate classification, Aberdeenshire has a marine west coast climate. Aberdeenshire lies in the rain shadow of the Grampians and, as a result, has an unusually arid climate for a coastal area, with only the coastal regions receiving the average annual precipitation of 25 inches (64 cm). Aberdeenshire has warm summers and cold winters, with the coast being slightly cooler in the summer and slightly warmer in the winter due to the moderating effect of the North Sea. Haar, or coastal fog, can also affect coastal areas.