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Aberdeen Attractions
In old Aberdeen is the University of Aberdeen (tel. 01224/272-000; www.abdn.ac.uk), a fusion of two colleges. Reached along University Road, King's College (tel. 01224/272-137; bus: 6 or 20) is Great Britain's oldest school of medicine. The college is known for its chapel (ca. 1500) with pre-Reformation carved woodwork, the finest of its kind in Scotland; it's open daily 9am to 4:30pm, charging no admission. On Broad Street is Marischal College (tel. 01224/272-000), founded in 1593 by Earl Marischal -- it's the world's second-biggest granite structure (El Escorial, outside Madrid, is much larger). The main structure is no longer in use, but on-site is the Marischal Museum, displaying exhibits and photos of the university and the Scottish culture of the northeast in general; admission is free, and the museum is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday from 2 to 5pm. In 1860, the colleges joined together to form the nucleus of the University of Aberdeen.
Also at the University of Aberdeen, the Cruickshank Botanic Garden, St. Machar Drive (tel. 01224/272-704; www.abdn.ac.uk; bus: 6 or 20), displays alpines, shrubs, and many herbaceous plants, along with rock and water gardens. It's open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm; in summer, it's also open Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 5pm. Admission is free.
The Cathedral of St. Machar, Chanonry (tel. 01224/485-988 in the morning, or 01224/317-424 in the afternoon; www.stmachar.com; bus: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 26), was founded in 1131, but the present structure dates from the 15th century. Its splendid heraldic ceiling contains three rows of shields. Be sure to note the magnificent modern stained-glass windows by Douglas Strachan and the pre-Reformation woodwork. The cathedral is open daily 9am to 5pm.
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Aberdeen Art Gallery
Built in 1884 in a neoclassical design by A. Marshall MacKenzie, this building houses one of the most important art collections in Great Britain. It contains 18th-century portraits by Raeburn, Hogarth, Ramsay, and Reynolds, as well as acclaimed 20th-century works by Paul Nash, Ben…- Landmark
Castle Fraser
One of the most impressive of the fortresslike castles of Mar, Castle Fraser stands on 10 hectares (25 acres) of parkland. The sixth laird, Michael Fraser, began the structure in 1575, and his son finished it in 1636. Visitors can tour the spectacular Great Hall and wander around the… - Landmark
Craigievar Castle
Structurally unchanged since its completion in 1626, Craigievar Castle is an exceptional tower house where Scottish baronial architecture reached its pinnacle. It has contemporary plaster ceilings in nearly all its rooms. The castle was continuously inhabited by the descendants of… - Landmark
Crathes Castle & Gardens
This castle, 3km (1 3/4 miles) east of Banchory, has royal historical associations from 1323, when the lands of Leys were granted to the Burnett family by King Robert the Bruce. The castle's features include remarkable late-16th-century painted ceilings and a garden that's a… - Landmark
Dunnottar Castle
The well-preserved ruins of Dunnottar are on a rocky promontory towering 49m (160 ft.) above the surging sea, and the best way to get here is by a dramatic 30-minute walk from Stonehaven along the cliffs. The ruins include a great square tower and a chapel built in 1292. William… - Landmark
Fyvie Castle
The National Trust for Scotland opened this castle to the public in 1986. The oldest part, dating from the 13th century, has been called the grandest existing example of Scottish baronial architecture. There are five towers, named after the families who lived here over 5 centuries.… - Tour
Malt Whisky Trail
- Historic Site
Provost Skene's House
This attraction is named for a rich merchant who was Lord Provost of Aberdeen from 1676 to 1685. It's a museum, off Broad Street, with period rooms and artifacts of domestic life. Provost Skene's kitchen has been converted into a cafe.
Aberdeen Shopping
The main shopping districts center on specialty shops on Chapel and Thistle streets, and on the well-known chains on George and Union streets. Of interest to collectors, Colin Wood, 25 Rose St. (tel. 01224/643-019), stocks furniture, wall clocks, and grandfather clocks from the 17th to the early 20th centuries. Its specialty, however, is maps from the Elizabethan through the Victorian eras. The shop also sells 17th- to early-20th-century prints of northern Scotland. You may also want to browse through the eclectic mix of bric-a-brac antiques at Elizabeth Watts Studio, 69 Thistle St. (tel. 01224/647-232), where items include glass, brass, antique jewelry, china, silver, and a few small furniture pieces. The shop is actually best known for its china and glass restoration studio. For one-stop gift shopping, drop in at Nova, 20 Chapel St. (tel. 01224/641-270; www.novagifts.co.uk), which stocks china, silver jewelry, rugs, clothing, toys, cards, and gift paper.
To trace your Scottish ancestry, go to the Aberdeen Family History Shop, 164 King St. (tel. 01224/646-323; www.anesfhs.org.uk), where membership to the Aberdeen and North East Family History Society costs £15. Once you join, you can go through a vast range of publications kept on hand to help members trace their family histories.
Other noteworthy shops include Grandad's Attic, 12 Marischal St. (tel. 01224/213-699), which specializes in Art Deco ceramics and antique pine furniture. You can also visit Alex Scott & Co., 43 Schoolhill (tel. 01224/643-924), the town's finest kiltmakers.
Aberdeen Nightlife
Tickets to events at most venues are available from the Aberdeen Box Office (tel. 01224/641-122; www.boxofficeaberdeen.com), open Monday to Saturday 9am to 6:30pm.
The Performing Arts
The Aberdeen Arts Centre, King Street (tel. 01224/635-208; www.digifresh.co.uk), has a 350-seat theater that is rented to professional and amateur groups hosting everything from poetry readings and plays to musical concerts in various styles. Ticket prices and performance times vary; call for information. Also on the premises is a 60-seat video projection theater that screens world cinema offerings, and ticket prices vary depending on what is showing but start at £6. A large gallery room holds month-long visual-art exhibitions. A cafe/bar, offering light meals and drinks, is open during performance times.
Near Tarves, about 32km (20 miles) from Aberdeen, you'll find Haddo House (tel. 01651/851-440), which hosts operas, ballets, and plays from Easter to October. An early-20th-century hall built of pitch pine, Haddo House is based on the Canadian town halls that Lord Aberdeen saw in his travels abroad. The hall was built for the people of the surrounding area on Aberdeen family land, and the present Lady Aberdeen still lives in a house on this property. Follow B9005, 29km (18 miles) north to Tarves, and then follow the National Trust and Haddo House signs 3km (1 3/4 miles) east to arrive here. Admittance to the house is £9 for adults, £6 for seniors and children, and £23 for a family ticket. The house is open March 31 to June 30 Friday to Monday from 11am to 5pm, July to August daily 11am to 5pm, September to November 7 Friday to Monday 11am to 5pm, the shop from 11am to 5pm, and the gardens from 9:30am to sunset. A stylish cafe offers light meals, tea, and other beverages daily, Easter to October, from 11am to 6pm.
The 19th-century Music Hall, Union Street (tel. 01224/641-122), is an ornately gilded 1,282-seat theater that stages concerts by the Scottish National Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, visiting international orchestras, and pop bands; it also hosts ceilidhs, crafts fairs, and book sales. Tickets for year-round musical performances average £14 to £32. The Aberdeen International Youth Festival is held annually in this hall in August, and features youth orchestras, choirs, and dance and theater ensembles. Daytime and evening performances are held, and tickets range from £8 to £20. Contact the Music Hall or the Aberdeen Box Office (above) for more information.
His Majesty's Theatre, Rosemount Viaduct (tel. 01224/641-122), was designed by Frank Matcham in 1906 and is the only theater in the world built entirely of granite. The interior is late Victorian, and the 1,445-seat theater stages operas, dance performances, dramas, classical concerts, musicals, and comedy shows year-round. Tickets range from £10 to £40.
A mixed venue is the Lemon Tree, 5 W. North St. (tel. 01224/642-230). Its 150-seat theater stages dance recitals, theatrical productions, and stand-up comedy, with tickets generally priced between £8 and £30. On Saturday, there's often a matinee at 2 or 3pm, and evening performances are at 7pm. Downstairs, the 500-seat cafe/theater hosts folk, rock, blues, jazz, and comedy acts, with shows starting between 8 and 10pm. On Sunday afternoon there's free live jazz.
Dance Clubs
DeNiro's, 120 Union St. (tel. 01224/640-641), has dancing to house music from 10pm until 2am on Friday and Saturday only. The cover charge is £10, but may vary depending on the guest DJ.
The Pelican, housed in the Hotel Metro, 17 Market St. (tel. 01224/583-275), offers dancing Thursday to Saturday 10pm to 2am. The cover charge on Thursday is £5 and Friday and Saturday £8. There's a live band every second Thursday of the month.
A Pub
The Prince of Wales, 7 St. Nicholas Lane (tel. 01224/640-597), in the heart of the shopping district, is the best place in the old city center to go for a pint. Furnished with pews in screened booths, it boasts Aberdeen's longest bar counter. At lunch, it's bustling with regulars who devour chicken in cider sauce or Guinness pie. On tap are such beers as Buchan Gold and Courage Directors. Orkney Dark Island is also sold here.
