Old Aberdeen Trail
Welcome to Aberdeen, our beautiful and historic city by the sea! The area known as Old Aberdeen is a hidden wee gem – uniquely in Scotland, you can visit a medieval cathedral, a late medieval bridge, a 15th century college, and the fifth oldest university in the world, all in this one spot!
Old Aberdeen is one of the oldest parts of the city and was originally an independent town from Aberdeen from 1499 to 1891, and it retains a wonderful sense of history and place. There is an intriguing mix of architecture and street planning, ranging from medieval to fine examples
of Georgian and Victorian buildings.
Old Aberdeen can be divided into three distinct areas – the oldest is the area around St Machar Cathedral known as the Chanonry which developed in the 12th and 13th centuries, the next is the merchant area around the Town House developed from 1489 when it became a Burgh of Barony by grant of a charter from King James IV, and the third area is the academic part which was developed after the foundation of King’s College.
Have fun roaming around our beautiful city, discovering the plaques, and finding out a bit about its history through the Old Aberdeen Trail! Click here to view the Old Aberdeen Trail (including map).