"Grey, one colour amongst many" a Aberdeen Travel Page by mrjemm

Aberdeen has a reputation. It is known as the Granite City, also the silver city. These names hint at different views of the same thing- Grey. People generally consider it to a grey place, with little colour and a drab appearance. Well, I say that grey and of course silver (in the wet) are beautiful colours. However this is only a small part of the story as Aberdeen does have a very rebellious streak of colour fighting to get noticed around it's streets.

Even in the most grey places, at their greyest times, you will find surprising elements of colour springing from the supposedly bleak background. In the fog at Footdee, a lifebelt casing makes itself known for those in peril. Every corner of the city has flowers proudly displayed, as awards have proved. There are numerous green areas of parkland, nature reserve and anarchic natural assault on the streets.

Of course there are colours that you will see everywhere, bright and bold scenes that are not unique to any one place, but can be seen any place with a sea, a sky or a field. Some places and sometimes obviously these can be hidden or obscured by buildings, pollution or lack of interest in the person; if you don't look, you don't see. But they are there somewhere, every place you go to has them, and in Aberdeen, it doesn't take much looking to find and see them.

On the larger scale, yes, it can look forboding and flat, but just look a bit closer, the colour is there, you'll see it. This place is lucky in that it has impressive architecture to back up the material it is made in. The granite gets a just and equal form to exit in, now cut. Some buildings are empty and unloved, their windows dirty, the frames rotten, but the structure is solid and the walls impress. Stand outside Starbucks and look over the road, that building is deserted, but looks imposing still. I'd love to see it used again, but it'll survive a long time yet, then more colour will come.

Hopefully by putting in some pictures of the area looking good you may get over the misrepresentation of this city and visit. I will keep this city alive yet!

OK, so this pic and the other window are a little bit enhanced, but only a little- this one for example is just a bit of levelling and splt between the rooves and sky to allow the rooves to be lit, while keeping the sky's tones.

I saw this rabbit whilst walking between Stonehaven and Dunottar Castle. I am not sure but I suspected it to be sick- perhaps mixi. It was shaking a bit, not twitching, and wasn't running off at my approach like the others. However it was large, rather chunky too and a dark colour that made me suspect it was an escaped domestic, which would escape it's placidity.

Of course, the sun always helps with colour- after all, colour is light.

Sitting at a pub, watching the water with a beer in hand certainly makes things look nice. But that's extra nice if it already is a good scene to view. This is Footdee/Fittee as seen from Campbell's pub in Torry. From here you can watch the boats passing and the wildlife that visits- I've seen seals here, but dolphins are regulars here to.