Luxscapia | Aberdeen

Aberdeen

Nicknamed the “Granite City” for its distinctive, hard-edged architecture, Aberdeen is Scotland’s third-largest city. After the discovery of oil beneath the North Sea in the 1970s, it became Europe’s offshore oil capital and, despite some decline in recent years, its harbor still bustles with commercial shipping. At the east end of Union Street modern redevelopments surround the ornate granite walls of Marischal College. North of center, Old Aberdeen is a late medieval enclave of historic buildings nestled around one of the UK’s oldest universities.

Aberdeen’s Highlights:

St Machar’s Cathedral. The twin granite towers of this 15^th-century cathedral, dedicated to Aberdeen’s patron saint, rise above the Old Aberdeen skyline to pinpoint St Machar’s Cathedral, Stained -glass windows light the interior, depicting the 6^th-century saint and cathedral’s earliest bishops.
Maritime Museum. Overlooking the harbor is Provost Ross’s house, which dates back to 1593. It now houses the Maritime Museum, which traces the history of Aberdeen’s seafaring tradition from medieval times to the offshore oil boom during 1970s.
St Nicholas Kirk. Founded in 12^th century and rebuilt in 1752, St Nicholas Kirk is Scotland’s largest parish church. Many ancient relics can be seen inside, including iron rings which were used to secure women accused of witchcraft in the 17^th
Aberdeen Art Gallery. This landmark art gallery’s collection of works by British artists including Raeburn, Reynolds, Hogarth, Paul Nash, Stanley Spencer and Francis Bacon, and by Monet, Renoir, Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec, may once again be viewed when a long-delayed redevelopment is completed.
Marischal College. The world’s second largest granite building (losing out to the Escorial in Spain for the top spot), Marischal College was founded in 1593 by the 5^th Earl Marischal of Scotland as a Protestant alternative to King’s College. It’s austere façade, a symbol of the “Granite City”, now houses Aberdeenshire Council’s headquarter.