Awards ask: is Aberdeen Scotland’s worst city?

THE city of Aberdeen has emerged as the front runner in a competition to find the “most dismal” place in Scotland.

Aberdeen is in the running for the dreaded Carbuncle Awards. Picture: Christopher Furlong/TSPL

The Granite City has been branded as the place where “architecture goes to die” in the shortlist for the Carbuncle Awards.

Cumbernauld, Kirkintilloch, Leven, Loghgelly and Maddiston are also in the running for the award in the Plook of the Plinth category.

But civic leaders today defended the city and said it did not deserve to be labelled as one of the ugliest places in the country.

Aberdeen Civic Society chairman Dominic Fairlie said: “There are lots of parts of Aberdeen that are very, very beautiful but I suppose the point they are making is that there is a lot of money in the city and perhaps it doesn’t always get spent on deserving projects.”

The awards are run by Scottish architecture and planning magazine Urban Realm and are held every two years.

They were set up to encourage people to encourage local authorities to improve town centre planning.

New Cumnock in Ayrshire was awarded last year’s trophy for Scotland’s most dismal town.

Then shortlist for this year came to light days after Aberdeen grabbed gold at the Britain in Bloom awards.

It was the 11th time it has won the top prize in the city category of the UK-wide campaign but the first triumph since 2006.

SEE ALSO

• Carbuncle Awards: What is Scotland’s ugliest town?