Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
corridors of
Provost Ross's House
. he museum is a thoroughly engrossing, imaginative
tribute to Aberdeen's maritime traditions. Just inside the front entrance you'll see a
blackboard updated every day with the price of a barrel of crude oil. Suspended above
the foyer and visible from five different levels is a spectacular 27ft-high model of an oil
rig, which, along with terrific views over the bustling harbour, serves as a constant
reminder that Aberdeen's maritime links remain very much alive. he older industries
of herring fishing, whaling, shipbuilding and lighthouse keeping also have their place,
with well-designed displays and audiovisual presentations, many drawing heavily on
personal reminiscences. Passages lead into Provost Ross's House, where intricate ship's
models and a variety of nautical paintings and drawings are on display.
10
Footdee
An easy walk or bus #15 from Union Street (near St Nicholas Kirk)
At the north end of Market Street, Trinity Quay runs past industrial yards and
down York Street towards
Footdee
, or Fittie, a quaint nineteenth-century
fishermen's village of higgledy-piggledy cottages backing onto the sea. heir
windows and doors face inwards for protection from storms but also, so they say, to
stop the devil sneaking in the back door. Here, in a great setting beside the
lighthouse at the channel into the harbour, is
Silver Darling
(see p.372), one of the
northeast's finest seafood restaurants.
Duthie Park
Polmuir Road • Daily 8am-one hour before dusk; Winter Gardens daily: April 9.30am-5.30pm; May-Aug 9.30am-7.30pm; Sept-Oct
9.30am-5.30pm; Nov-March 9.30am-4.30pm • Free • A 20min walk or 10min bus ride from the centre (#17 or #18 from Union Street
From Market Street it's a short hop to
Duthie Park
, on the banks of the Dee at the end
of Polmuir Road. he rose garden here, known as Rose Mountain due to its profusion
of blooms, can be stunning in summer, but the real treat is the
Winter Gardens
, a
steamy paradise of enormous cacti and exotic plants. By the obelisk, a parterre garden
has been installed and outdoor concerts are occasionally held at the restored vintage
bandstand. From the northwestern corner of Duthie Park a great cycle and walkway,
the
Old Deeside Railway Line
, heads west out of the city past numerous long-gone
train stations.
Old Aberdeen
A 10min ride north of the city centre on bus #20 from Littlejohn Street
North of the modern centre and an independent burgh until 1891, tranquil
Old Aberdeen
has maintained a village-like identity. Dominated by King's College
and St Machar's Cathedral, its medieval cobbled streets, wynds and little lanes are
beautifully preserved.
King's College Chapel
King's Campus, University of Aberdeen • Mon-Fri 9.30am-3.30pm • Free
he southern half of cobbled High Street is overlooked by
King's College Chapel
, the
first and finest of the city's 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 that of his queen. It stands on the quadrangle, whose gracious
buildings retain a medieval plan but were built much later; those immediately north
were designed by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie early in the last century, with the
exception of Cromwell Tower at the northeast corner, completed in 1658. he
highlights of the interior, which, unusually, has no central aisle, are the ribbed arched
wooden ceiling, and the rare and beautiful examples of medieval Scottish woodcarving
in the screen and the stalls. he remains of Bishop Elphinstone's tomb and the carved
pulpit from nearby St Machar's are also here.
