Seaton Community Centre is located next to the primary school on Seaton Place East and is open for residents to use. Get in touch with the staff team for more information about the activities they have on offer.
How we get it all together
Seaton Scene is YOUR quarterly full-colour community magazine produced by Station House Media Unit (shmu) and is one of seven community magazines produced for Aberdeen’s seven regeneration areas with the printing costs being met by the Fairer Aberdeen Fund.
This Spring we are highlighting the fantastic work done by Seaton’s volunteers and sharing all the details you need to get involved too!
If you would like to get involved and join the editorial team or if you have ideas for articles, you can easily get in touch with us. Please contact Rose at rose.ross@ shmu.org.uk or call 07752586312, if you are interested in getting involved. The staff at shmu are able to support and train anyone living in Seaton who are interested in developing their ideas and skills in either writing, photography or proof reading.
Seaton Scene is a community publication and the views expressed are not necessarily those of the editorial team or of shmu.
Graham Donald | Community Development Officer
Tillydrone Community Campus Hayton Road
Aberdeen AB24 2UY GrDonald@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Direct Dial: 01224 2191 Mobile: 07917 305803
STAR Flat, 14A Seaton Drive.
Administrator: Gillian Urquhart 01224 524209
Supported by
CFINE’s Mobile Pantry Distributing ‘Easy-Peasy Meals’
The latest update from CFINE’s Mobile Pantry
CFINE is ready to share ‘Easy-Peasy meals’ with members of their Mobile Pantry. Their brand-new cookbook is available for free and will be filled with easy-tofollow recipes.
Seaton is one of twelve stops the Mobile Pantry makes weekly across the city of Aberdeen. The Mobile Pantry works on a membership basis, offering a shop like experience at a fixed price.
Members of the pantry typically pay £3 annually and £2.50 per visit. Giving them access to £15-£20 worth of fresh, frozen dried and tinned goods.
Next time you visit the van, be sure to pick up a free copy of CFINE’s new cookbook ‘Easy-Peasy Meals’. The book is full of easy to cook meals that use simple ingredients to create something delicious. Including recipes such as stovies, vegetable curry and courgette pancake fritters.
‘The Mobile Pantry is a lifeline for its members and has become a valuable resource reducing food costs and freeing up cash to spend on other essentials items and bills.
Seaton Mobile Pantry is one of the busiest locations in the city with members attending regularly. We provide much needed food support, sanitary products and pet food fortnightly. This is the only location that we have 3 volunteers to aid the members with language and social barriers to enable them to attend.
The ‘Easy Peasy Meals’ Cookbook is being handed to every member when they shop. The booklet has recipes utilising foods readily available in the pantry and that require minimal preparation or kitchen equipment for those who are not so adept in the kitchen or have limited means…’– Nicky, Senior Development Worker for Pantries and Communities.
‘CFINE Easy Peasy Meals is a great resource which has compiled some of our favourite recipes from CFINE’s various cooking resources and
archives. The recipes featured are not only delicious but also support cooking skills and confidence with lots of different types of food to enjoy! Hopefully many members of the Seaton community can enjoy the new cookbook and share their favourite recipes with the wider community.’Martin, Sustainable Food Coordinator at CFINE.
Copies of ‘Easy-Peasy Meals’ are available for free thanks to the ABZ Propeller Fund from Aberdeen International Airport. Copies will be available to collect from CFINE’s Community Pantry, Mobile Pantry and Food Bank.
CFINE also offers additional support including our SAFE team who help with benefits and budgeting advice and Cook at the ‘Nook who run cooking classes. Information on these support services can be found inside the Easy-Peasy Meals Cookbook.
If you are not a member of the pantry and would like a copy of the cookbook, please contact info@cfine.org.
Seaton’s P7’s speak out on shmuFM
shmu recently had the pleasure of working with Primary 7’s from Seaton Primary and were delighted to welcome them to shmu for a live radio show!
The P7’s had a great time in the weeks leading up to the live show, working with Kane and Rhona in their class.
For those that weren’t able to come to shmu to take part in the live show, there was plenty of opportunity to be included anyway.
A brilliant show was planned, with all the pupils sharing a little bit about themselves, giving advice for the listeners and even creating their own dream community with a creative writing exercise. The recordings were used in the show, so everyone got to hear their voice on the radio!
The pupils also interviewed John Corral of Aberdeen History Society, who shared his knowledge of the Seaton area with them.
Here’s some of the interesting history John had to share.
Did you know that the city is split into two parts, Old and New Aberdeen, because the Vikings kept burning it down?
“The town was rebuilt quite a few times because it all went on fire and after the last big fire they said ‘Right, that’s it, no more thatched roofs. It’s got to be tiled roofs or slate roofs’.
Where did they get the tiles? Seaton Brickworks.
“The early houses were made from wattle, and they had branches, and then they used mud to pack into all the spaces, before they put on a thatched roof. But because of the fires, the only way that the firemen of these days could stop a fire was by tearing down the building next to it to stop it.
“So, if one building went on fire, the ones on either side had to be pulled down as well. They decided to use stone or brick after that. We
discovered in Aberdeen a particularly good stone, granite.
“And if you go up to the university buildings and have a look around, you’ll see that the oldest buildings are made up of slightly rounded stones. And these were stones that were actually on the ground. They didn’t need to be quarried, but they tended to be of a softer stone, a softer granite.
“So, they started digging and they found at the top of Rosemount a place called Lone Head Mile End, the first quarry was made there.
“But as they got expertise on working granite. They then started to go deeper and deeper into the harder and harder and harder granite. And Rubislaw quarry, they dug so much granite out of there that it became the deepest hole in Europe and the granite, they exported all over the world. They reckon the, the streets of London were paved with Aberdeen Granite. Aberdeen Granite was used not only in Aberdeen. But worldwide.
Advice Column
Emily - A piece of advice I’d give to everyone is never give up on your dreams and believe in your goals no matter what.
Zakk - A piece of advice is just be yourself and never give up.
Lilly - Always be nice
Mia - Always be happy and never give up.
Daniel - Be you and do you.
Algia - Don’t give up. And remember, with great power comes great responsibility.
We led the world in working in granite, and the statue in Golden Square is the first granite statue ever made since the time of the pharaohs. We’ve had technology in shipbuilding.”
What is John’s favourite thing about Aberdeen and it’s history?
“We invented so many things in Aberdeen. There are 106 worldwide medical firsts in Aberdeen and one of them, was the MRI scanner. It was invented in Aberdeen.
“We have six seven Nobel Prize winners. We led the world in paper making. We have led the world in so many things.”
Thank you to Seaton Primary for having shmu along and getting to work with the fantastic P7’s. Hopefully you enjoyed their show as much as we did.
If you would like to listen to the full show, visit https://www.mixcloud. com/SHMUFM/seaton-speakout-190225/
Kai - My piece of advice is be safe and work hard.
SEATON P7’S GUIDE TO SPENDING ONE MILLION POUNDS.
Layla - I would give some to my family and spend it on jelly cats and sushi.
Mia - If I had 1 million pounds, I would save it and then spend on everything I love.
Lucas – I would give some to my mum.
Peter - I would buy a car for when I’m older.
Bernice - I will donate some to the homeless and kids in the hospital.
Obi - I will give it to the poor and help others.
Erwin - I would buy things for my hobbies.
Later, when I’m older, I’ll buy my dream house and retire.
Sophiia - I would give more than a half to my parents. Then I would donate some money to the charity and I would keep the rest.
Fresh Community Wellness SCIO
2024 saw our biggest year to date. The SNUG (Seaton Neighbourhood United Garden) having over 60 volunteers in the garden, over the Spring and summer growing period.
We ran 3 courses in the garden and worked in conjunction with 4 other gardens in Aberdeen as part of an RHS trial funding program.
The first course was in conjunction with AARC (Asylum and Refugee Care) who brought a group of 18 men who were seeking asylum in Aberdeen, over a 6-week block. The guys helped us to move along some infrastructure projects that we had been working on since we started the project in 2021. This included moving a large mound of earth and rubble, levelling our decking, painting all our planters, building a new three tier planter with bench, cutting grass, creating our new large flower bed.
This was an interesting look into the world of immigration for our Trustees
but also a great way to welcome the guys into the Aberdeen community. It also benefitted the guys by giving them a purpose while they awaited their decisions from the home office.
The Second course was Growing & Wellbeing in Nature in conjunction with Cfine and Mindstore. This was a group of 10 volunteers, on 2 afternoon courses over 3 weeks, learning about the benefits of gardening on mental health and focus time on being in the moment with nature.
The final course was a Songwriting course, around the subject of gardening. This was run in conjunction with Cfine and was over a 4-week period in the garden.
Aberdeen Community Growing Network was new to our project this year and run alongside Earth & Worms in Tillydrone, Tullos Community Garden, The Secret Garden (Aberdeen University) and Cultivate Aberdeen in Torry.
This group came together from discussions around the decline in volunteer numbers in Aberdeen community gardens and how we could support each other’s projects. We were fortunate that the RHS were trailing a funding grant in 2024 to build community garden networks.
As part of the project, we combined 4 gardens together to hold larger combined days in Earth & Worms, Tullos, The Secret Garden and The SNUG. These sessions were to be focused to help these gardens finish bigger projects that required larger amounts of volunteers. The funding allowed us to make purchase of some power tools that are to be shared by the local gardening groups who may require them in a tool library, this included battery strimmer’s, battery hedge cutters and a battery branch shredder plus spare batteries for each unit. All the gardens had a great uplift from these events and as part of the funding we provided a lunch from the volunteers.
Finally, as part of the overall AGCN project we held an end of season lunch in THE SNUG attended by just over 50 volunteers. Food was provided by the local gurdwara and some of the fund went towards some ingredients to make some Kurdish soups that were cooked by a former asylum seeker who provided his time to cook them.
Our Other Projects
Ladies Craft Group
This group has been slowly growing with 10 volunteers attending over the year. This year we also took some of the lady’s crafts to a craft fair in Northfield to sell for some funds for the group.
Men’s Music Chat Group
The group has continued to gain new members with 6 regular attendees and 4 others who attend while they can.
Litter Pick Hub
Last year saw us lifting more litter than ever before helping fight the litter emergency in the UK. In the garden we lifted over 30 bags of
litter which had either blown into the garden or had been dropped. We also attended a litter picking event held by the Seaton Community Council, this event lifted around 20 bags of litter from the streets throughout Seaton. We also took part in the City Council’s 24-hour litter pick with 8 of our volunteers out on the streets from 8-9pm collecting 10 bags of litter from the area.
As litter hub for the council, we also supplied equipment for 3 other litter picking events in Aberdeen including going along to the event at the beach.
Season 2025
This year we hope to go from strength to strength and grow our volunteer base from the Seaton community. We have changed the gardening group times from Saturday to Sunday 11am till 2pm we are also providing lunch to volunteers. Thursday mornings continue unchanged 10am -12pm.
Ladies Craft group runs Monday Evenings 6pm -8pm in the common room of Northsea Court.
Men’s Music chat runs Thursday Evenings 5:30-7:30pm in Seaton Community Centre.
We are looking for more volunteers who would be willing to take on leadership/trustee rolls in the charity if you are interested please come along to one of our Sunday sessions for a chat or email Chair@ freshcom.org.uk
You can also get all our latest updates on facebook or Instagram @freshcommunitywellnes
Volunteer in Seaton!
Seatonis fortunate to have so many wonderful organisations with so much to offer the community, but to sustain these fantastic opportunities, there must be volunteers.
Are you interested in getting involved with volunteering in your area? The volunteers down at Seaton are doing a terrific job, but they can’t do it all by themselves. There are loads of opportunities to get involved at Seaton whether it be in the pantry, the community garden or the soup and sandwiches. Get involved in your local community today!
We wanted to chat to some current volunteers in Seaton to see what they enjoy about volunteering.
The shmudents visited Seaton Community Centre a few weeks ago to interview some volunteers about their experience and what it means to be a volunteer. We headed down on a Wednesday morning for pantry day and Tuesday morning while the
volunteers were getting ready for Soup & Sannies.
Seaton Pantry – Kasia and Mira
On pantry day we spoke to volunteers Kasia and Mira who were more than happy to tell us about their volunteering. They told us that they had both been volunteering for a few months now. Kasia left London 15 years ago to move to Aberdeen and has recently found a part of the Seaton community and is regularly down at the centre. Mira had other commitments most of the time so she isn’t always able to help at the pantry, but she does when she can.
Kasia added that they see a lot of people come through the door on a daily basis, whether it be for the pantry or just to pop into the centre. They have met a lot of people while volunteering and they have gotten to know them so well too, especially with the older residents, which is common with the volunteers that we interviewed.
Both Mira and Kasia sometimes to struggle to find time to help at the centre and they have seen many volunteers young or old come and go, they want to encourage people to come and volunteer in Seaton as it is an amazing place to work, and they would recommend anyone who’s interested in volunteering to head over to Seaton!
“People need more volunteers, not just the pantry. They need community”
We followed up after the pantry day and spoke to volunteers Brian and Janet at Soup and Sannies. For those who don’t know Soup and Sannies is a bi-monthly free meal for those aged over 50 in Seaton, it offers a tasty homemade soup and fancy pieces too, accompanied with some entertainment.
Both Brian and Janet have been volunteering for many years either at Seaton or with other organisations, they are very dedicated to the role
within the community and are praised by their peers for this.
Brian told us that alongside Seaton he also helps with the AFCCT so has plenty volunteering experience, he has also been helping at the Soup and Sannies for around two years. Some of the benefits that Brian gets from volunteering are seeing people enjoying themselves, especially their usual elderly clientele, as well as getting to know them very quickly and being able to have that banter with them when they come in too. He also added “I think people would benefit from the wisdom of all generations and the people here just have a sense of purpose”.
Janet has also been a consistent volunteer down at Seaton and a friendly face for the people who attend the soup and sandwiches. Janet has been volunteering for three years and loves it every time she goes in, she also enjoys getting to know the people who come to the centre. Janet would also encourage anyone to volunteer at Seaton as she says, “People look forward to seeing you and it gives you a boost to see them enjoying it here”.
Remember that soup and sandwiches is on every second Tuesday at 11:30 so pop along and you may even see the volunteers we interviewed there too!
Finally, the students headed over to the Fresh Wellness’ Snug to get the volunteers and leadership team’s opinions on volunteering. We spoke to David, Neil and Graham who gave us their insights into what goes on in the garden and their experiences volunteering.
David told us that they started the project three years ago and it has been a positive and uplifting experience since they started. The group often manage to get out in the sun to work on the garden and that benefits a lot of the group’s mental health as they socialise and get fresh air while they work.
Sheila Gordon – Chairperson, Friends of Seaton Park
Sheila found her volunteering feet when she retired. “I enjoy the feeling of being my own boss and doing what I want to with my time, rather than working for someone else. I am not able to work the same hours I used to, nor to work doing anything physical, but I can use my skills to support those who can still put in the hours and the work. It’s putting something back into the community and still feeling worthwhile.
“We are quite a small group with everyone contributing something. However, there are many more who also volunteer for the park just quietly and without making a fuss doing a litter pick every so often.
“Even just a one-off session with the gardening group. There are also some who help at CakeFest as their contribution/volunteering. Whatever is done, it is by choice, and not because you must. For me, that’s the most important thing about volunteering, it is just that - voluntary!” That about sums it up perfectly!
Where can you volunteer in Seaton?
There are lots of different places looking for volunteers now, here are but a few that would welcome some help.
Fresh Community Wellness
Fresh are seeking volunteers to take on leadership and trustee roles in the charity.
If this is of interest to you, please contact Dave on Chair@fhresh. com.org or pop along to one of the Sunday gardening sessions at the snug.
As always volunteering in the garden is more than welcome too!
Friends of Seaton Park
There’s lots you can do to help out at Seaton Park. Weeding, planting, the odd litter pick.
You can even join in on a one-off gardening session.
Get involved by emailing chairoffosp@gmail.com
The group also have their AGM at 7pm on Wednesday 21st of May in the small hall, Dunbar Street Halls. Anyone can come along and find out what has been happening in the park and what may be happening in the future.
Star Community Flat –Gillian Uqhuart
The flat urgently need volunteers for their committee. They are looking for two members to join the committee. This would entail attending four mandatory meetings per year and having as much input and sharing as many ideas as they’d like to.
If you’d like to take part, please get in touch with Gillian ahead of the flat’s AGM on the 21st of May.
They are also looking for some helpers to develop and tidy the small garden space at the front of the flat. If you think you could lend a hand, don’t hesitate to get involved.
Email Gillian on info@stargroup. org.uk or call 01224 524209.
Seaton Community Centre (projects such as the pantry and soup & sannies)
There are also plenty of volunteering opportunities at the Seaton Community Centre. You could volunteer with Kasia and Mira at the Pantry and/or with Janet and Brian at Soup and Sannies.
Why not get in touch with Lucy to find out how you can help. Perhaps you have a specific skill or interest you’d like to volunteer your services to teach a class. Email LUrasaSkiba@ aberdeencity.gov.uk or call 01224 277930.
The Seaton Scene would love to continue highlighting the fantastic volunteers in the area, if you have a suggestion for who we should talk to next, please get in touch!
Cakefest draws in crowds for its ninth year running!
Cakefest, is a creative annual fundraiser hosted by Friends of Seaton Park to raise money to help them take care of the park throughout the year.
So, what happens at Cakefest? As you can imagine, there is more cake than any one person can dream of. It is a competition, picture The Great British Bake off but for a great local cause.
People bring along their best bakes and when attendees buy their tickets, they receive a voting slip. They can choose 3 cakes to try and then they vote on which is their favourite. No, you don’t have to bake anything to enjoy the festivities, you can simply enjoy everyone else’s confectionary creations.
It’s no surprise that this kind of event draws in a crowd, I mean, what more can you ask for really?
The winner of the competition gets an engraved wooden spoon keepsake and a voucher for Lakeland and the Friends of Seaton Park get a nice boost for their funds. It’s a win all round.
This year’s winner was Evie with her Rhubarb and Custard Crumble Cake.
We spoke to Sheila Gordon, Chairperson of Friends of Seaton Park, who told us more about the fest.
“Different kinds of cakes win every year. People definitely choose the cakes they want to eat with their eyes. They go for ones that look nice, but sometimes it’s the ones that don’t look quite as nice that are the tastiest. This year we had a spinach cake, although vegetables are not typically what you think of when cake making, it was delicious.”
The community are always glad to see the return of the event. “The local community are very much behind this, and it’s the same people who come every year, and we see them in the street every day.
“When we had had break because of Covid, they were so glad to see it back. So, there’s, there’s the raffle, but there’s also crafts, you know, people make things as knitting and sewing and there’s also marmalade, Margaret makes Marmalade every year.”
Keep an eye out so you don’t miss the fun next year, and if you get practising now, who knows maybe you will be crowned Cakefest Winner 2026.
Visit our article on Volunteering in Seaton on Pages 8-10 to find out how you can help out at the park outside of Cakefest.
Aberdeen’s Festival Fever:
Tall Ships Festival - Credit - Sail Training International
TheGranite City is known for its rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant cultural scene. Throughout this year, the city comes alive with a diverse array of festivals, offering something for everyone. From music, and light shows to crime writing and traditional celebrations, Aberdeen’s festival calendar is packed with exciting events. Here’s a glimpse into some of the upcoming highlights.
A Celebration of Tradition:
Scottish Traditional Boat Festival
(June 27-29, 2025)
Head down to the charming harbour of Portsoy for the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival. This popular event showcases the region’s maritime heritage with a flotilla of historic boats, demonstrations of traditional crafts, and lively music and dance performances. The festival will take place on Saturday the 28th and Sunday the 24th of June. Tickets can be bought from the festival’s website.
Aberdeen Highland Games
(15th June)
On 15th June 2025, Aberdeen will host their Highland Games at Hazlehead Park. A staple summer event, which starts at 10am and will include a day of fun for all the family. You can expect traditional Highland game events, stalls and activities as well as entertainment from professional performers.
There will be more information relating to ticket prices released on Aberdeen City Government’s website closer to the time and if you are interested in applying to set up a trade or charity stall at the event, this can also be done via the website.
A City in Celebration:
Granite City Festival
(June 28, 2025)
The Granite City Festival is a highlight of Aberdeen’s summer calendar. This vibrant event brings the community together with live music, street food, family-friendly activities, and a buzzing atmosphere. The music festival takes place at Hazelhead Park spanning the entire weekend. Tickets for the festival can be purchased on the website through upfront payments or a payment plan.
The
Tall Ships Races (19th July)
After 28 years, the Tall Ships Races returns to Aberdeen to become the largest free family event being held in Europe. This four-day festival will start on the 19th July with 50 tall ships from all around the world arriving in Aberdeen Harbour. There will be an opening ceremony celebrating the fleet’s arrival, over 1000 sailors will come together for a parade, there will be live music and entertainment and visitors will be able to board the tall ships for the first three days before they set sail.
In addition to these highlights, Aberdeen also hosts a variety of other festivals throughout the year, including:
Aberdeen Comedy Festival (September 22-28, 2025)
Get ready for laughs with a lineup of top comedians.
Aberdeen Fringe Festival (October 24, 2025)
Showcasing a diverse range of performances, from theatre to music and comedy.
Envirolution (September 20th, 2025)
A free community festival based in Seaton Park, aiming to increase connection and engagement with the natural world. Evirolution wish to support communities to achieve a more sustainable future.
With such a diverse and exciting lineup of festivals, Aberdeen offers a year-round celebration of culture, arts, and community.
A Course for All Ages (even mine)
They say, ‘use it or lose it.’ Like all cliches this one has a lot of truth to it. Anyone who works out at the gym will tell you how quickly a spell of laziness will undo all your hard work. Surely, it’s the same with the mind. Keep the little grey cells working out by learning a language or a musical instrument. As the poet says,’make it new.’
So, when the present writer, no longer in the first flush of youth, saw that shmu was running a course Introduction to Community Film, I quickly volunteered. I bought a good camera and mic with the thought of making YouTube videos. But I’d never really used it, using the equipment for little more than snapshots. This course was just the thing to get me started.
Trouble was that I feared that this old guy would be taking up a place from a young person, and we all know that opportunities for young people are getting harder to find. But the folk at shmu assured me that this was no problem, and that all were welcome.
And so, my Thursday mornings for the next ten weeks were occupied with the workings of cameras, microphones and editing software. There was talk of shots and interview techniques. I personally struggled a bit with the editing side of things, with my failing eyesight. It seemed to me that all this new tech is made with young eyes in mind. But I took to camera like a duck to proverbial water. Although you are exposed to all aspects of film making, there is scope for specialising.
The staff up at shmu are enthusiastic and help you to go with your strengths.
Then, finally, let’s make a film.
At the time they were doing the yearly Winter Wonderland at the Woodside Community Centre. I thought that filming local folk transforming the Centre into something magical would make an interesting short film. All agreed, and the cameras started rolling.
I was amazed at just how much work is involved. But finally, we got the film finished and I had that satisfied feeling from having actually made something.
Then the ten weeks were over, but my involvement in film making is still open, for there is a film making group at shmu that I’m thinking of joining. I enjoyed this course with shmu and feel confident and enthusiastic about getting some filming done over the summer.
So, if you are at a loose end, want to re-train or just improve your skills, why not check out what shmu has to offer? It’s on your doorstep after all. Use it. What have you got to lose?
See Santa Claus Comes to Woodside on YouTube. It already has a mighty 39 views!
Douglas Thomson
Tenant Participation
Congratulations to Geraldine Mathew a tenant from Lewis Court and Lewis McGill a tenant from Seaton who have completed the Tenant Participation Certificate course in Tenant Participation & Community Development delivered by TPAS Scotland in partnership with Supporting Communities Northern Ireland.
This was a 12 week online course and provides a formal qualification to these tenants. Both these tenants are involved in their areas, as well as the citywide tenant and resident groups.
Well done!
Carol Hannaford.
Traveling by bus, made easy
For many years, Aberdeen only had one intercity bus companyMegabus (part of Stagecoach). Now competition is growing in Aberdeen. With Ember (electric buses) departing from Bridge of Don Park & Ride and FlixBus setting off from Union Square in Aberdeen. We now have a choice on which service we use.
The Ember coach does pick up at School Road outside the King Street Exchange Students’ Apartments and also at St. Ninians Place on King Street. And you can find the timetable for the Ember E1
Service to Edinburgh on the bus shelters. Just make sure you put your hand out to flag the bus to stop.
But before boarding either Flixbus or Ember Coaches, you must make sure that you pre-book your tickets through their websites, www.flixbus. com and www.ember.to even if you have an National Entitlement Card (NEC). And this is so you are guaranteed a seat on either coaches. Although if you are unable to, you can just jump on and hope that there are extra seats available.
19 May – 7 December 2025
The Gallery, Sir Duncan Rice Library
Step into a world of Gothic terror in the latest exhibition from University of Aberdeen Collections.
Showcasing the extensive collection of Gothic novels, this exhibition explores how these texts used fear to both terrify and excite readers with their tales of monsters and villains, and exploration of transgressive themes.
Discover hidden meanings within these classic tales that question, are the monsters truly monstrous?
Discover Aberdeen Without Spending a Penny:
Free Activities in the Granite City
Embrace the Outdoors
Aberdeen Beach: Miles of golden sand await you at Aberdeen Beach. Stroll along the promenade, build sandcastles, or watch for dolphins in the summer months. The beach is also home to the free Queens Links, offering a place for picnics and games.
Hazlehead Park: This expansive park, gifted to the city by Robert the Bruce, is a haven for nature lovers. Explore the walking trails, admire the flower gardens, and let the kids loose in the playground.
Footdee (Fittie): Wander through this charming fishing village with its colourful cottages and unique character. It’s a great place to experience the city’s maritime heritage and take some memorable photos.
Donmouth Local Nature Reserve: Observe seals at play in their natural habitat at the Donmouth Local Nature Reserve, where the River Don meets the sea.
Delve into History and Culture
Aberdeen Maritime Museum: Discover Aberdeen’s seafaring past at this fascinating museum. Explore exhibits on shipbuilding, fishing, and the North Sea oil industry, including a massive model of an oil platform.
Aberdeen, the “Granite City,” is a captivating blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. While some attractions come with a price tag, there’s plenty to see and do without opening your wallet. Here’s a guide to exploring Aberdeen on a budget.
Tolbooth Museum: Step back in time at the Tolbooth Museum, housed in a 17th-century prison. As you explore the historic cells, learn about crime and punishment through the ages. Closed for refurbishment at the moment but plans are to reopen this year.
Aberdeen Art Gallery: Immerse yourself in art at the Aberdeen Art Gallery, which boasts a diverse collection spanning centuries. Admire works by Scottish artists and international masters.
Old Aberdeen: Take a walk through the historic heart of Aberdeen, with its cobbled streets, medieval buildings, and the impressive St. Machar’s Cathedral.
Other Free Experiences
Sculpture Trail: Discover public art as you follow the Aberdeen Sculpture Trail. Encounter statues of historical figures and contemporary creations dotted throughout the city center.
University of Aberdeen’s Zoology Museum: Get up close with animal skeletons and specimens from around the world at this free museum, perfect for families with children.
Cruickshank Botanic Garden: Explore a diverse collection of plants from around the world at this tranquil garden, located next to the Zoology Museum.
