Aberdeen

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View over city, Aberdeen, Grampian, Scotland.

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Overview

Aberdeen is northeast Scotland's powerhouse, fuelled by the North Sea petroleum industry. Oil money made the city as expensive as London, with prices charged to match the depth of oil-wealthy pockets, though regular downturns in the industry see prices fall. Fortunately, most cultural attractions, such as the Maritime Museum and Aberdeen Art Gallery, are free.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Aberdeen Maritime Museum

Aberdeen

Overlooking the nautical bustle of Aberdeen harbour is the Maritime Museum, centred on a three-storey replica of a North Sea oil-production platform,…

Gordon Highlanders Museum

Aberdeen

This excellent museum records the history of one of the British Army's most famous fighting units, described by Winston Churchill as 'the finest regiment…

Marischal College

Aberdeen

Marischal College, founded in 1593 by the 5th Earl Marischal, merged with King's College (founded 1495) in 1860 to create the modern University of…

Aberdeen Art Gallery

Aberdeen

Behind the grand facade of Aberdeen Art Gallery (closed for a major redevelopment until early 2019) is a cool, marble-lined space exhibiting the work of…

Provost Skene's House

Aberdeen

This late-medieval turreted town house was occupied in the 17th century by the provost (Scottish equivalent of a mayor) Sir George Skene. It was also…

St Machar's Cathedral

Aberdeen

The 15th-century St Machar's, with its massive twin towers, is a rare example of a fortified cathedral. According to legend, St Machar was ordered to…

St Nicholas Church

Aberdeen

On the northern side of Union St, 300m west of Castlegate, is St Nicholas Church, the so-called 'Mither Kirk' (Mother Church) of Aberdeen. The granite…

King’s College Chapel

Aberdeen

It was here that Bishop Elphinstone established King's College, Aberdeen's first university (and Scotland's third), in 1495. The 16th-century college…

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