Out And About Aberdeen City Centre

Page 1

OUT AND ABOUT ABERDEEN CITY CENTRE

Looking over from Union Terrace Gardens

PAGE 14

OTHER ACTIVITIES

CONTENTS PAGE PAGE 4 UNION STREET CASTLE GATE PAGE 6 BROAD STREET PAGE 9
SCHOOLHILL ROSEMOUNT
UNION TERRACE GARDENS
Marischal College

UNION STREET & CASTLEGATE

Union Street is the main street in Aberdeen, often referred to as the ‘granite mile’ due to the amount of granite buildings along its way. Developed in 1794, the street was seen as a way to connect the city, with streets connecting to Union Street that run to other major towns and cities in Scotland. Before 1794, the streets were steep and hazardous, and the construction of Union Street meant new bridges had to be built and hills flattened.

There are some famous Aberdeen buildings located on this street that include the Kirk of St Nicholas (Mither Kirk), The Archibald Simpson (former North of Scotland Bank, built by renowned Aberdeen architect Archibald Simpson), Aberdeen Town House, Gilcomston Church and St Mary’s Cathedral located on Huntly

Street just off from Union Street. However, also located at the end of Union Street is the Castlegate area of the city. In this area we have the cities Mercat Cross which shows where the right to hold a regular market was granted by the monarch and acted as a site where announcements could be made. Also in this area is the Aberdeen Citadel which run by the Salvation Army. It is said that the building was inspired by Balmoral Castle and built upon the site of the ancient Aberdeen Castle. Also located here is a monument to the Gordon Highlanders who were an infantry regiment that recruited in the Northeast of Scotland. The photos to the right show some of these buildings mentioned.

Gordon Highlanders Monument Castlegate Aberdeen Townhouse Mither Kirk Gilcomston Church St Mary’s Cathedral

BROAD STREET

Located just off Union Street is Broad Street. In this area the old meets the new. Located here we have Marischal College. This building was founded in 1593 and became Aberdeen’s second university after Aberdeen University. This was the case until 1860, when the two universities merged and created todays Aberdeen University.

A few decades on from this in 1890, Broad Street was changed forever when the older buildings were demolished to make way for an extension to Marischal College which eventually opened in 1906. Today, the building is the headquarters to Aberdeen City Council and houses Police Scotland public counter in Aberdeen. Marischal College also holds the record for being the second largest granite building in the world.

and hospitality outlets. Located in the centre of here we have a steel sculpture of a leopard made by the same person who created the world-renowned Kelpies, Andy Scott. Also tucked into this area is the home of Aberdeen’s Lord Provost Skene.

Opposite Marischal College we have the modern Marischal Square which houses offices

The house dates back to 1545 and is the oldest townhouse in Aberdeen. Which over the centuries it has seen people such as the Duke of Cumberland stay here as he travelled to the Battle of Culloden and has had various uses such as a home, a homeless hostel, and a lodging house however in its current form it is a museum dedicated to the people of Aberdeen and the Northeast of Scotland who helped shaped Aberdeen and the rest of the world. Also standing outside the house is a statue dedicated to footballer Denis Law who was born in Aberdeen and possibly one of the best footballers from Scotland.

Marischal Square and Marischal College Lord Provost Skene’s House Marischal College and Trinty Church
Marischal College
Aberdeen Central Libary, St Marks Church and His Majesty’s Theatre

ROSEMOUNT, SCHOOLHILL & UNION TERRACE GARDENS

The next area of Aberdeen houses some of the most cultural areas of the city. You may have noticed on the previous page, the words ‘Education, Salvation and Damnation’. This is the old local saying for these 3 buildings which are Aberdeen Central Library opened in 1892, St Marks Church opened also in 1892 and His Majesty’s Theatre which opened in 1906. Over the years the buildings have had extensions added on to them, allowing for more room and play an important part in Aberdeen today with the library holding over 15,000 photographs and His Majesties Theatre holding around 1,400 people.

Opposite these buildings we have Union Terrace Gardens which first opened to the public in 1879, the gardens have seen various changes over the decades, with new roads being built and bridges constructed

to carry the city over the Denburn valley. However, in 2019 the gardens closed and then reopened to the public in December 2022 after a £28 million redevelopment. This changed the garden to meet the demands of the modern world, it still offers a realm of calm in a busy city centre, however, is now more lit up and is more accessible to wheelchair users and can host events such as the Spectra light show which took place here in February 2023.

Moving across the Rosemount Viaduct, we arrive onto Schoolhill. This is the location of Aberdeen Art Gallery, first opened in 1885 and is home to art from over 700 years ago, the Aberdeen War Memorial and Cowdray Hall.

St Marks Church and Common Sense Cafe and Bar View from below Rosemount Viaduct Looking at Aberdeen Art Gallery from Belmont Street Night time view from Union Terrace Gardens Looking across Union Terrace Gardens towards the Art Gallery and War Memorial
Union Terrace Gardens

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Aberdeen City Centre has a lot to offer. Why not visit one of the pubs located around the centre? Such as Ma Cameron’s, the oldest pub in Aberdeen dating back to 1746 and is located on Little Belmont Street, or why not take a trip round the corner to Belmont Street and visit some of the pubs and clubs on it such as SlainCastle.

If that doesn’t take your fancy, there are 3 main shopping centres; The Bon Accord Centre which is located at Schoolhill, The Trinity Centre located on Union Street and Union Square which is located on Guild Street next to the train station. Each of these shopping centres offer a different retail experience and have restaurants inside too.

If you would like a cultural experience, Shiprow is home to the Maritime Museum which tells the story of Aberdeen and its relationship with the sea and opened in 1984. The museum is

located within Aberdeen’s second oldest townhouse, Provost Ross House which was built in 1593.

Also located in Aberdeen is the street art festival called ‘Nuart’ and this sees some of the empty wall space be transformed into a piece of art. Some examples are the Lego wall, located at the green along with a picture of a man holding a dog. Just across the road the picture can be seen of someone looking out of a window that was created for Nuart.

There are also many other intresting places to visit outside of the city centre, such as Old Aberdeen, Footdee (known locally as Fittie), Aberdeen beach or why not take a trip down to the River Dee and see Wellington Suspension Bridge?

Ma Cameron’s and the Mither Kirk Nuart Trail located on Wapping Street Aberdeen Maritime Museum and Provost Ross House

Thank you for reading ‘Out and About Aberdeen City Centre’ this was created by C Ladley

Photography for use in his Communication Design (hons) project. All photos were taken and are owned by C Ladley photo and may not be reproduced.

Google Maps has been used under Googles terms of ‘fair use’.

Check out the rest of my work here

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.