The Grampian region is made up of the traditional counties of Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Kincardineshire (Mearns), and Moray (Elginshire). It was named after the Grampian Mountains, which extend from the southwest Highlands to the Moray Firth. Grampian is an adaptation of the Latin name Mons Graupius, recorded by the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus as the site of the defeat of the native Caledonians by Gnaeus Julius Agricola circa 83 CE.
Grampian is the third largest Scottish region both in size and population (530,000). Its largest city and administrative centre is Aberdeen (pop. 220,000), which is also the main sightseeing destination. Aberdeen, the granite city, is a vibrant seaport that grew rich on shipbuilding, textiles, and more recently on the oil industry. It possess the fifth oldest university in the English-speaking world. Aberdeenshire is the wealthiest British region outside London in terms of GDP per capita.
The other sights are the Grampian's distinctive Renaissance castles, with their small windows and tiny turrets. The most famous among them is Balmoral Castle, purchased by Queen Victoria as a summer residence, and still one of the Royal Family's most popular castles. In a different style, Duff House is one of Scotland's great Georgian mansions.