Aberdeenshire, council area (1993 est. pop. 223,630), 2,438 sq mi (6,315 sq km), and former county, NE Scotland. Under the Local Government Act of 1973, the county of Aberdeenshire (or Aberdeen) became part of the Grampian region in 1975. In the local government reorganization of 1996, Grampian was dissolved and the council area of Aberdeenshire was created; the new council area is larger than the former county.