I haven’t lived in Aberdeen for about a year. And, yet, when it comes up in conversation, I am always tempted to call it home.
I spent my formative years in the north-east, most of my cultural references are from Scotland, and I’ve always thought the city was just the right fit for me. Big enough to have novelty and exciting things, small enough to never be overwhelming.
As far as a small, semi-isolated city goes, Aberdeen is equipped with a remarkable amount of history, culture, breathtaking scenery, welcoming people and good food. But I find the place has a curse – it doesn’t retain many of its young people, whether of university age or beyond.
Most of my friends moved on from the charms of the Granite City soon after graduating, with many heading to Glasgow and Edinburgh to find work and a more active social life. And who could blame them? I saw them all battling with work contracts that didn’t get renewed, or becoming stuck with the same zero-hours contract for years. Or, worse, being jobless for months on end.
When you want to stay in a place you love but it seems all the odds are against you, it can really break your spirit.
I had a plan to stay in Aberdeen after finishing university. While I was hopeful about the local arts and media scene, a relentless and fruitless job search in the sector was what drove me away, in the end.
Despite leaving fairly soon after graduating, I am constantly thinking about moving back.
I like how Aberdeen is big enough to have interesting things, but small enough to never feel too chaotic. I love the seaside on the city’s doorstep, and the variety of local produce available at all times.
I love Old Aberdeen, with the charms of the historic campus and the sunset walks in Seaton Park. That it was home to my favourite poet, Lord Byron, as he was growing up is an added bonus that makes me love it even more.
I love how quickly people adopt you into their circles – I’ve always been a fan of poetry, and I have yet to meet a warmer, more encouraging bunch than the poets and Speakin’ Weird artists in Aberdeen.
I love that you can drive 20 minutes out of the city and you will be immersed in nature, headed to the Cairngorms or to the gorgeous coastline in Stonehaven. Wherever you turn, there is beauty (as long as you look away from Union Street).
There’s a sense of defeat in the Granite City
The list of reasons to love Aberdeen keeps growing, maybe more so as I feel further away.
When I think about the future, though, I understand why my friends defected to the Central Belt, and further afield, without looking back.
There is a sense of defeat that has taken over Aberdeen in the past years, especially when it comes to the local businesses and the arts. The heartbreaking closure of the iconic independent cinema Belmont Filmhouse is just one of many examples.
I remember, three years ago, walking through the empty shell of Bon Accord shopping centre, with more shops closed than there were open. I wondered and feared that it was a sign of what the future had in store of the rest of the city.
The death of Aberdeen’s high street is sad to see, but it is only a symptom of how the city is slowly emptying out. It’s not just the freshly-graduated population that is being driven away. I have seen friends in their 30s and 40s facing the same dilemmas I did, wondering whether to stay in a place they loved or move away in order to move on with their careers.
It’s not about the predominance of oil and gas anymore as much as it is about the precarity of everything else – independent bars, cinemas and small enterprises that make the city worth living in.
Some of my fondest memories of living there involve trundling to Books and Beans for a coffee and a book, or seeing a musical at His Majesty’s Theatre, then stopping at Bandit Bakery to pick up my favourite treats on the way home.
We must stay united
I firmly believe that the charm Aberdeen has is something other cities UK-wide would do well to replicate. But if we want that charm to last and the city to thrive, we shouldn’t take it for granted, and we shouldn’t let divisions be created among us.
The recent incident at a Speaker’s Corner protest makes me worry that Aberdeen has become less tolerant. Not just as a queer person, but as a former member of the local community, I’m concerned that we let more things divide us than unite us.
The lively character of Aberdeen is what makes the city somewhere that isn’t just a place to live in, but a joy to be a part of.
No matter how far south any job will take me, I know I will always be loyal to my home in Aberdeen. And until I find a cinnamon bun that can compare to Bandit Bakery’s, my return will always be on the cards.
Rory Buccheri is a freelance journalist
