Welcome to your annual reminder that Aberdeen is, actually, a grand place to be.

And, as always, this thumbs up for the Granite City comes from people who for the most part have never set eyes on the place before – our always welcome influx of cruise ship visitors.

The first arrivals of the new cruise season last week made some eye-opening comments when asked their thoughts about Aberdeen. That included the couple who live close to the famed Florida theme parks but said our own Codonas could give the likes of Disneyland a rollercoaster run for their money.

Our American and Canadian guests, who arrived on the Viking Neptune, waxed lyrical about our granite, our Wallace Statue, Old Aberdeen and most everything they clapped eyes on.

Well, apart from the state of Woolmanhill, but fair comment, to be honest.

Union Terrace Gardens was on the receiving end of fulsome praise, which no doubt will come as a surprise to the UTG haters out there. I know whose opinion I side with. Nothing better than an UpperKrust sarnie and a garden bench when the weather is fine.

Now, we all know there is a world of difference between swinging into a town or city for a few hours than to actually living here.

Aberdeen cruise ship visitors highlight what we should be proud of

But the fact so many of our new-found friends loved what they found is something we should be proud of.

We do have great things in the heart of Aberdeen from green space to architecture, shops to restaurants, galleries to museums. So much to see and do and enjoy that it will take more than just a day to get round it all.

Which those of us who live in this gorgeous part of Scotland can.

This isn’t all rainbows and lollipops through rose-tinted spectacles, though. Aberdeen does not have its problems to seek, from the decline of Union Street through to the city centre anti-social behaviour, we can all see.

But at least something is being done to counter this. The work on Union Street Central is grinding on, but it will be finished, and we will have a better main thoroughfare to enjoy. One that has a groovy new market at its heart, too.

And there are so many projects in play to help breathe new life back into Union Street by any and all means possible.

So better a construction site now than a street that is just left to rot with no intervention from anyone to make things better.

See also the playground project at the beach. Whatever your view on that, at least something is being done to improve our city.

And that’s what it comes down to. The constant efforts by so many people, groups and organisations – from the council through to independent traders – to make Aberdeen the best it can be.

Our cruise guests see a grand city where any building work they come across represents investment and progress.

They see Aberdeen as a place where people care about its future.

Let’s all get on board with that vision.

Scott Begbie is a journalist and editor, as well as PR and comms manager for Aberdeen Inspired.

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