Granite Past of Aberdeen

Aberdeen is a city fighting for the attention of tourists. It is cheap and easy to explore. All museums are free with convenient opening hours. For outdoor photos, make sure you visit in the daytime, as the buildings are not well lit at night. Be careful, you are quite far north (57º N) so it gets dark early in the winter.

Quick Tips:

Exploring granite buildings requires a positive and enthusiastic spirit, as otherwise, it might not be too exciting. Some research on the granite industry, such as knowing about the first polishing machines and saws, etc. will help you to appreciate what you see. Aberdeen is the capital of the Grampian (North-East) region of Scotland, United Kingdom, so you would expect people to speak English, well, they do, but the accents can be very strange, so be prepared for it.

Best Way To Get Around:

Getting around Aberdeen is simplicity itself. The bus station is next to the train station, and they are both within walking distance of the City-Centre and harbour where you can walk, view, eat or shop. There are plenty of buses running between the bus station and the airport (running less frequently after 7pm). A bus ticket from the airport to the city-centre is 1.30 GBP (30 minutes) and a taxi about 15 GBP (20 minutes).

This hotel is just a 5-minute walk from the airport and is named after Concord (Speedbird was its call-sign) the only supersonic passenger airliner ever to see commercial service. To reach the hotel, walk out of the terminal turn left and head towards the sheltered walk-way, continue along the walk-way to the end, turn left and the hotel is just across the car park.

Rooms here are spacious, the bed comfortable, and the bathrooms clean. I had a problem getting the shower to give hot water in the amount I required but that is always the thing on the first night. Rooms, of course, have a TV with few free channels for you to watch.
The main advantage of this place is its location close to the airport, so you can reach your early morning flights without problems. The hotel is ready for this and prepares breakfasts before 5:30am (full english breakfast £7.50 GBP).

Spacious car park in front of the hotel can be used if you travel by car. Car hire station is in front of the hotel as well.

Having walked around Aberdeen and its sites all afternoon, we became quite hungry but not knowing the city very well, we approached some locals for advice on a good restaurant. We were fortunate, as Bridge Street was where we ended our tour, the Indian restaurant looked classy but suspiciously empty, being that it was the only open restaurant in the vicinity, being on company expenses, and being hungry, we decided to go in. I am telling you that I do not regret it as the food was wonderful. The proprietor himself explained what was available from the specials menu, and what all the food with weird names tasted like. The restaurant boasts a traditional Charcoal Tandoor (oven) but as it was late and we very hungry we decided forgo this traditional form of cooking. We started with Salmon and Chilli Asparagus and for mains I ordered Chicken in a Coconut Sauce, my companion ordered a spicy Spinach dish, both plates were fantastic and the accompanying Naan bread was as thin as a handkerchief. I accompanied this with an Indian tea my companion an Indian beer.

The restaurant looked clean, but I always judge a place after seeing its toilets and I must admit that I have never seen cleaner one’s, or at least not with so many antibacterial products available for you to use after washing your hands. I was impressed and felt really good eating with my very clean hands.

The food was authentic Indian and the owner was a true host, running around and ensuring that you have all you wish from in the furthest corner of your heart. I spent a very nice evening in this Indian restaurant, listening to French chansons-surprising, but why not? So unless you have something against French chansons, you should spend your money having a great meal here.

Aberdeen is a harbour in Scotland. That’s pretty much all that people seem to know about it. But Aberdeen is more than that. It is the winner of “UK City in Bloom” competition, proudly exposing its nickname, "The Rose City." Honestly, the gardens might be nice in spring or summer, but in winter, there is not much to smell. Aberdeen is also known as "The Granite City." The splendid architecture was designed by architects as famous as Archibald Simpson, John Smith, or Marshall Mackenzie.

The essential part of your tour will definitely be the second-largest granite building in the world, The Marischal College on Broad Street. You will see kind of more austere style designed by Archibald Simpson in 1837 and the perpendicular Gothic style by Marshall Mackenzie in 1890s.The overall style is a combination of different working technologies. The older part of the building is made from Rubislaw stone, and the modern Gothic is from Kemnay stone. Even if this building is huge, it is not really “so pretty.” For more romantic granite building, head toward the Union Street and Castle Gate. On your left will soon appear The New Town House (1868-1874). Designed by Peddie and Kinnear, it expresses the confidence of a mature granite industry. With its towers and arcades, it shows what the industry and town could do. This confidence went so far as to boldly incorporate a medieval sandstone Tolbooth at the east end. The Tolbooth Museum can be visited here today. All matters related to imprisonment can be seen here and entrance is free.

At the head of the Union street is the sandstone Market Cross (1686), symbolising the pre-granite period. Salvation Army Citadel (1896), behind the Market Cross by James Souttar, was completed when granite industry was at its peak. Some 300,000 tons of stone was being quarried locally, and 40,000 tons of this was exported through Aberdeen harbour.

These are the buildings that have to be seen, but with a bit more of time, you can also see the Episcopal cathedral, Aberdeen Art Gallery, His Majesty’s Theatre, or Kirk of Saint Nicolas.

Lots of leaflets with maps can be found at the airport or inside any major building, so you will not get lost and certainly you will not be bored if you have the explorer spirit. Some of the leaflets will take you just around the plaques placed everywhere around the city. It can be a good fun, and at the same time you will learn a lot about the past and pride of this rose granite city.

You cannot miss this museum, in both meanings. First, you cannot miss it because it is the second largest granite building in the world (and as the largest is in Madrid, 17º south of Aberdeen, it is easily spottable). Second, you cannot miss it because it is holds some real treasures.

Aberdeen is and always has been a port town, home to a once substantial fishing fleet and more recently to the North-Sea Oil support fleet. Ships are, and always have been, departing and returning loaded with treasures from the furthest corners of the world and the Marischal Museum reflects this heritage. This is the least boring museum that I have ever visited in my life as here you will find objects from the archaeology and history of North-East Scotland, as well as ancient Egypt. The museum holds statues, embroidery, implements of punishment, clothing, and other sorts of weird stuff that does not always have a description so you can spend time guessing what it might have been.

We enjoyed the guessing part quite a lot, especially while visiting a temporary exhibition on drug. We recognised lungs, black from smoking, and a bottle of Chinese wine with a Python in it, but we struggled to identify all the types of drugs that are apparently available on the market these days.

The museum is located in the city centre, a few minutes walk from Union Street. It is open weekdays from 10am to 5pm and Sunday from 2 to 5pm. The entrance is free.

So if you plan to visit Scotland, don’t miss Aberdeen... and if you are in Aberdeen, don’t miss the Marischal Museum.