12 Best Buildings to See in Aberdeen That You Shouldn’t Miss

Aberdeen is also known as “The Granite City,” and the use of this hard, shiny rock brings the city together in the same way that the use of limestone and sandstone in Paris brings the city together as a whole. Unlike the well-known beauty of Paris, the buildings in Aberdeen always surprise visitors, who often didn’t know they were going to a place with so many amazing buildings. From ancient places of worship to modern, award-winning towers, a grand twin-domed theater to university buildings that could be in Oxford or Cambridge, here is a list of the twelve best buildings to see in Aberdeen.

Table of Contents

St. Machar’s Cathedral Church

Best Buildings to See in Aberdeen - Travel Pixy — St. Machar’s Interior | © Keith Laverack/Flickr

Since the sixth century, when St. Machar, a follower of St. Columba, started preaching there, there has been a church where St. Machar’s Cathedral is now. Most of the current building is from the Middle Ages. The oldest parts date back to the 12th century. If you go inside, you’ll find a beautiful room, especially the beautiful heraldic ceiling made of wood.

Provost Skene’s House

There are parts of the oldest private house in Aberdeen that date back to 1545. The building is named after Provost George Skene, who bought it in 1669. A provost is like a mayor, and the title has been used in Aberdeen since the 13th century. The house is tall, with the small windows that typified the period. See if you can find the gargoyle on the corner.

His Majesty’s Theater

Even though the name only says “His Majesty’s Theatre,” this is actually a row of three buildings that look great together. From the theatre, with its twin domes and Frank Matcham design, to St. Mark’s church, whose dome was modeled after St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, to the Central Library, which opened in 1892, these three buildings are a must-see. Union Terrace is across the street. It has beautiful gardens and a number of statues in the area.

Old Aberdeen Town House

Old Aberdeen is very different from the city center of today, which is not surprising since it was a separate Royal Burgh until 1891. The area positively overflows with fascinating things to see, and a range of remarkable buildings. The Town House was built in 1789, and it is such a great piece of architecture that it is on the logo of The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland.

Old Aberdeen Town House, High Street, Aberdeen

St. Andrew’s Cathedral

The Episcopal Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney lives in St. Andrew’s Cathedral. The famous local architect Archibald Simpson, who is responsible for much of what you see in “Granite City” today, designed the building. The facade is made of sandstone, which Simpson did not want because it was cheaper. The rest of the building is made of granite. Even though it looks great from the outside, you should go inside and, if you can, go when one of the many choirs or orchestras that sing or play here is performing, because the acoustics are just perfect.

David Welch Winter Gardens

Something a little different: a group of buildings made of steel and lots and lots of glass. The indoor gardens in Duthie Park are some of the biggest in Europe. While the plants are the main attraction, you should definitely take some time to look at the beautiful architecture. The gardens themselves have many different parts, such as a “corridor of perfumes,” a “Tropical House,” a “Arid House,” and a “Japanese Garden.”

Aberdeen Music Hall

Another building designed by Archibald Simpson, this one opened in 1822 as the County Assembly Rooms. In 1859, it was changed and expanded, then reopened as a music hall. This amazing building is getting a multi-million-pound makeover right now, which will help it last for many more years. There have been shows here by Charles Dickens, Paul Robeson, and Emile Sandé. The building is made of Aberdeenshire granite, which is also used in Trafalgar Square and the Thames Embankment, so it may look familiar to people who know London.

The Kirk of St. Nicholas Uniting

Since at least the 12th century, there has been a church here. Like many churches in the UK, St. Nicholas has parts from many different time periods, including parts of the 12th century church and rebuilding from the 18th and 19th centuries. Along with its beautiful architecture, the church has a lot of late medieval woodwork and effigies from the Middle Ages. Aberdonians call this church the “Mither Kirk” (Mother Church).

King’s College Chapel

This building from the late 15th century is a must-see. It has an iconic crown tower and Scotland’s most complete medieval church interior. The chapel is the most important building on campus, but there are also many other great buildings, like Elphinstone Hall and the Quadrangle. If you go to Old Aberdeen, you have to check out these buildings.

New Town House

Like His Majesty’s Theatre, these three interesting buildings are all right next to each other. The Aberdeen Town House is near the end of Union Street. It was built in the Flemish-Gothic style to honor the long history of trade between the city and the Lowlands of Europe. It is a beautiful building that is even more interesting because it is connected to Aberdeen’s Tolbooth, a prison from the 17th century. This is now a museum, and it’s worth going to see. The last building, which used to be a bank but is now a pub named after the original architect, Archibald Simpson, is easy to guess. The building has four strong columns, a grand entrance, and a famous statue of Ceres on the roof.

Sir Duncan Rice Library

From the famous granite beauty of Aberdeen to something very modern. The Queen opened Aberdeen University’s new library in 2012, and most of the city can see it. The cube shape is made of glass with wavy vertical stripes. It has eight stories and a double-height ground floor. This design won an award. The inside is just as interesting as the outside, with floors that curve around a central atrium. The interior is much more fluid than the outside, which is made up of straight lines.

Aberdeen’s Sir Duncan Rice Library is on Bedford Street.

Marischal College

The Marischal College buildings from the late 19th century are often thought to be the best of Aberdeen’s granite masterpieces. They have different architectural styles, different kinds of granite, and a sense of awe and grandeur. It is the second largest granite building in the world. The University of Aberdeen, which was made when Marischal College and King’s College merged in 1860, still owns it, but Aberdeen Council now rents it. It was recently remodeled and fixed up to make it look even better. This included cleaning off a century’s worth of dirt and making it shine again.

Topic: 12 Best Buildings to See in Aberdeen That You Shouldn’t Miss

Join the. “I Left My Heart in Scotland” in Our Community on Facebook. A place where members can be honest with each other, share their stories and travel photos, and try out a new way to see Scotland together.