Hit hard by falling oil prices and job losses, the Scottish ‘energy capital of Europe’ is facing a complex decision at a time of uncertainty
Europe’s busiest heliport, which ferries offshore oil workers between north-east Scotland and North Sea rigs, is normally one of the most active parts of Aberdeen. But the oil industry’s two-year slump and thousands of job losses mean some residents say the food banks are the now the busiest place in the “energy capital of Europe”.
The oil price crash – from more than $100 a barrel when the Scottish independence referendum was held in 2014 to as low as $27 last year – has been tough on the Granite City.