Old Aberdeen

-> Scotland -> Northeast Scotland -> Aberdeenshire and Moray -> Aberdeen -> Old Aberdeen

An independent burgh until 1891, the tranquil district of Old Aberdeen, a twenty-minute ride north of the city centre on bus #20, has always maintained a separate village-like identity. Its medieval cobbled streets, tiny wynds and little lanes are beautifully preserved.

The southern half of High Street is overlooked by King's College Chapel (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; free), the first and finest of the college buildings, completed in 1495, with a chunky Renaissance spire. Named in honour of James IV, the chapel's west door is flanked by his coat of arms and those of his queen. The screen, the stalls (each unique) and the ribbed arched wooden ceiling are rare and beautiful examples of medieval Scottish woodcarving. The remains of Bishop Elphinstone's tomb and the carved pulpit from nearby St Machar's are also here.

From the college, the cobbled High Street leads a short way north to St Machar's Cathedral on the leafy Chanonry (daily 9am-5pm, except during services; free), overlooking Seaton Park and the River Don. The site was reputedly founded in 580 by Machar, a follower of Columba, when he was sent by the latter to find a grassy platform near the sea, overlooking a river shaped like the crook on a bishop's crozier. This setting fitted the bill perfectly, and the cathedral, a huge fifteenth-century fortified building, became one of the city's first great granite edifices.

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