Giant letters pop up in city centre overnight

Aberdeen's new landmark appeared in Castlegate under the cover of darkness last night.

Locals were seen snapping shots of the letters this morning, which stand at around 6.5ft tall and are illuminated by 98,000 LED lights bulbs. 

The project has been funded and led by city centre BID Aberdeen Inspired, which will also manage the letters, Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, VisitAberdeenshire and the Scottish Government's Scotland Loves Local fund, administered through Scotland's Town Partnerships. 

It's hoped to draw attraction to the city centre and encourage promotion on social media platforms in the form of selfies. 

Similar signage can be found in cities such as Edinburgh, Amsterdam and Toronto, which have proved to be popular tourist attractions. 

The structure was created in Aberdeen by local design and fabrication firm, Luxous Group.

Adrain Watson, Chief Executive at Aberdeen Inspired, said they were conscious of power sources and energy efficiency when considering the design of the letters.

He said: "In it's full glory, day to day, it's £5. We've really focused in on that in the detail and the design, and the company Luxous who are local, working with local regional and national partners, have been fantastic in that regard."

It comes as the Our Union Street taskforce have been brainstorming ideas to revitalise the Granite Mile. 

Mr. Watson added he hopes the letters will broaden Aberdeen's offering, enhancing the city centre as a desired place for cruise passengers, including visitors to the European Pipe Band Championships, Spectra and NuArt Festival.