Formerly part of the county of Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City was one of five District Councils created in 1975 within the two-tier Grampian Region. In 1996 Aberdeen City became a separate local government area as one of the new unitary local authorities established under local government reform. The City's coat of arms depicting three castles and its motto - 'Bon Accord' - are said to date from the time of King Robert the Bruce and the massacre of English troops in the neighbourhood. The motto was the watchword to initiate the campaign and the arms represent three castles that stood on three hills around which Aberdeen developed, namely Castle Hill, the Port or Windmill Hill (Gallowgate) and St. Catherine's Hill. Robert the Bruce granted his hunting lands on the forest of Stocket to the citizens of Aberdeen. These 'Freedom Lands' provided revenue that was eventually applied to creating the city's Common Good Fund.
