Aberdeen, often called The Granite City, is Scotland's third largest city, with a population over 200,000. Aberdeen is the chief commercial centre and seaport in the north-east of Scotland. Aberdeen grew up as two separate burghs - Old Aberdeen at the mouth of the River Don and New Aberdeen, a fishing and trading settlement where the Denburn entered the Dee estuary. The earliest charter was granted by King William the Lion about 1179, confirming the corporate rights granted by David I. The city received other royal charters later. In 1319, the Great Charter of Robert the Bruce transformed Aberdeen into a property owning and financially independent community. The city was burned by Edward III of England in 1336, but was soon rebuilt and extended, and called New Aberdeen. For many centuries the city was subject to attacks by the neighbouring lords, and was strongly fortified, but the gates were all removed by 1770.