Flag of Aberdeenshire

Flag of Aberdeenshire
Proportion	3:5
Adopted	22 April 2023
Design	Per pale Tenne and Purpure, a castle Argent charged with a crown counter-changed of the field.

Aberdeenshire

The Aberdeenshire flag is the flag of the county of Aberdeen, registered with the Flag Institute on 22 April 2023.

History

A competition to design a flag for Aberdeenshire was announced on 7 September 2022 in the county-based “Press And Journal” newspaper, stating “Recently, Scottish counties including Sutherland and Caithness have gained eye-catching new flags after residents were asked for their input. And today, it’s not difficult to see each of those designs on flagpoles across those areas in a clear display of local pride. We want the same for Aberdeenshire: a flag that represents the very best of the region.”

The judging panel was made up of representatives from Aberdeenshire Council, the lieutenancy and the Court of the Lord Lyon. They narrowed the entries from all over the world down to a shortlist of five, which, after being adapted by Community Vexillologist Philip Tibbetts to fit the strict rules of heraldry, went to a public vote. The winning design was unveiled to the public on 22 April 2023 at Castle Fraser where the children who designed the flag presented it to the Lord Lieutenant who raised it atop of the tower. It was created from ideas suggested by pupils from Elrick school in Westhill and Newtonhill school in Stonehaven, Kincardineshire.

Design

The white castle represents the county's sobriquet as Scotland's 'Castle Country' and also Balmoral specifically, whose royal association is referenced by the inclusion of a crown. The golden-orange colour recalls both that of ripening barley and the whisky that comes from it. The purple symbolises the heather on the mountains.

Outside links

• Flag Institute registration particulars
• Press and Journal flag vote
• British County Flags - A flag for Aberdeenshire