Aberdeen: Culture, History and the Sea

Aberdeen can be explored from a variety of cultural perspectives: the city's relationship with the sea, art spanning several centuries, historic buildings and gardens each offer a different focus. When planning your stay, you can consider which of these aspects interests you most. The following places offer specific ways to explore them—from the themes of trade and shipbuilding to art collections and wildlife watching at the harbour.

The Sea, Art and Exhibitions

The Aberdeen Maritime Museum focuses on the city's long and often dramatic relationship with the sea. Its displays span the beginnings of trade, fishing and shipbuilding through to offshore energy. This covers both traditional activities on the water and a later chapter in maritime development. Anyone interested in Aberdeen's history will find a thematic link here that connects several aspects of life by the sea.

The Aberdeen Art Gallery offers a different perspective on cultural history: its collection spans 700 years and features works by local, national and international artists, designers and craftspeople. Its broad time span can be considered alongside the works' varied origins and the range of professions represented. The bp Galleries on the second floor also host special exhibitions and displays. If these changing exhibitions are important to your plans, check in advance which dates fall during your stay.

Historic Buildings in Aberdeen

Provost Skene's House is the oldest surviving town house in Aberdeen and dates from 1545. The building thus provides a specific historical reference point and a sense of how long residential houses have been part of the city's history. Interactive exhibitions there introduce more than 100 notable figures from Aberdeen and the North East. Alongside the age of the house, the region's people and their history are also in the spotlight.

St Machar's is the oldest building still in use in Aberdeen and welcomes tourists. If you are planning a visit, check the opening information again before you travel. Bus routes 1, 2, 19 and 20 connect the city centre with the area around St Machar's Cathedral. As bus routes can change, it is advisable to check the connection before setting off.

Harbour Wildlife Watching and Gardens

Torry Battery is a historic monument built in 1860. Harbour porpoises are often spotted at the harbour entrance, including while feeding, jumping and playing. The site therefore brings together two different interests: the history of a monument and wildlife watching. The behaviours mentioned give a specific impression of what visitors may observe there, without implying that sightings are possible at any particular time.

If you would prefer to visit a garden rather than the harbour and monument, the David Welch Winter Gardens are located in Duthie Park. They are among the largest covered gardens in Europe. Describing them as covered gardens clearly distinguishes them from the city's history and art attractions. During your stay, you can decide whether to focus on collections, historic buildings, wildlife watching or gardens.

Choosing Aberdeen for Your Stay

The themes described offer different options rather than prescribing a set sightseeing route. Art lovers can focus on the Aberdeen Art Gallery collection and exhibitions at the bp Galleries; for city history, the Maritime Museum, Provost Skene's House, St Machar's and Torry Battery each offer their own points of interest. The Winter Gardens add a garden visit to the selection.

Discover more destinations: Inverallochy, Ellon, Monymusk, Macduff, Balmedie, Inverurie, Ballater, Tarland.

For the overall travel guide: Aberdeenshire.