Page 148 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Scotland

146  SC O TLAND REGION B Y REGION THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS  147

d Aberdeen paintings, sculpture, photo- Provost Skene’s House VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
graphs, prints and decorative Guestrow. Tel (01224) 641086. Open 10am–5pm Mon–Sat. & 7 limited.
Scotland’s third-largest city and Europe’s offshore oil capital, arts from the 18th century to Once the home of Sir George Skene, a 17th-century provost (mayor) of Practical Information
Aberdeen has prospered since the discovery of oil in the North the present day. Local granite Aberdeen, the house was built in 1545 and is one of the oldest houses Grampian. * 220,000.
n 23 Union St (01224) 269180.
Sea in the early 1970s. The sea bed has now yielded 50 oilfields. merchant Alex Macdonald in the city. Inside, period rooms span 200 years of design. The Duke of ( Fri, Sat.
Widely known as the Granite City, its forbidding and rugged bequeathed a num ber of the Cumberland stayed here during the weeks preceding the Battle of
works on display. British artists
Culloden (see p150). The house is closed due to the rede vel opment
outlines are softened by year-round floral displays in the public include Raeburn, Reynolds, of the surrounding streets and is due to reopen in 2017. Transport
~ 13 km (8 miles) NW of
parks and gardens, the Duthie Park Winter Gardens being the Hogarth, Paul Nash, Stanley Aberdeen. 3 @ Guild St.
largest indoor gardens in Europe. Aberdeen’s busy harbour Spencer and Francis Bacon. The 18th-century Parlour,
can be observed from the picturesque village of Footdee French Impressionists and Post- with its walnut harpsichord and The Regency Room typifies early
at the southern end of the city’s 3-km- (2 mile-) sandy beach. Impressionists such as Monet, covered fireside chairs, was the 19th-century elegance. A harp dating from
Renoir, Degas and Toulouse- informal room in which the family 1820 stands by a Grecian-style sofa and
Lautrec are also well represented. would have tea. a French writing table.
The 17th-century Great Hall The Georgian Dining Room,
R St Nicholas Kirk The Painted Gallery has one contains heavy oak dining with its Classical design, was
Union St. Tel (01224) 643494. Open of Scotland’s most impor tant furniture. Provost Skene’s the main formal room in the
cycles of religious art. The
May–Sep: noon–4pm Mon–Fri, 9:30am– panels are early 17th century, wood-carved coat of arms 16th century and still has its
hangs above the fireplace.
1pm Sun; other times by arrangment. though the artist is unknown. original flagstone floor.
7 ∑ kirk-of-st-nicholas.org.uk
Founded in the 12th century,
St Nicholas is Scotland’s largest
parish church. Though the pres-
ent structure dates from 1752,
many earlier relics can be seen
inside. After damage during the
Reformation, the interior was
divided into two. A chapel in
The spires of Aberdeen, rising behind the city harbour the East Church holds iron rings
used to secure witches in the
Exploring Aberdeen stained-glass win dows add a 17th century, while in the West
The city centre flanks the 1.5-km modern touch to the interior, Church there are embroi dered
(1-mile-) long Union Street, which contains a 1540 pulpit, panels attributed to Mary
ending at the Mer cat Cross. The later carved with heads of Jameson (1597–1644).
cross stands by Castlegate, the Stuart monarchs.
one-time site of the city castle, E Maritime Museum
and now only a marketplace. R St Andrew’s Cathedral Shiprow. Tel (01224) 337700. Open Entrance
From here, the cobbled Shiprow King St. Tel (01224) 640119. 10am–5pm Mon–Sat, noon–3pm Sun.
meanders southwest and passes Open May–Sep: 11am–4pm Tue–Fri; - 7 = ∑ aagm.co.uk
Provost Ross’s House on its way Oct–Apr: by appointment. 7 Overlooking the harbour is 0 metres 200 INVERURIE OLD ABERDEEN
PETERHEAD
to the harbour. A bus can be 8 by arrangement. the Provost Ross’s House, dating 0 yards 200 Aberdeen Airport WEST NORTH ST
11 km (7 miles)
taken 1.5 km (1 mile) north The Mother Church of the back to 1593. It now houses
of the centre to Old Aberdeen, Episcopal Church in the United the Maritime Museum, which QUEEN ST St. Andrew's
which, with its medieval States, St Andrew’s has a traces the history of Aberdeen’s Provost Skene's Marischal K I N G ST REE T Cathedral
streets and wynds (narrow, mem orial to Samuel Seabury, seafaring tradition. The exhib- Art Gallery HARRIET STREET UPP ERKIRKGATE House College JUSTICE ST
Aberdeen
winding lanes), has the the first Episcopalian i tions cover numerous topics His Majesty's BLACKFRIARS ST FLOURMILL LANE BROAD STREET Tolbooth Mercat
peaceful character bishop in the US, who from shipwrecks, rescues and ROSEMOUNT VIADUCT SCHOOLHILL Cross
Theatre
of a separate village. was consecrated in ship building to models that ST NICHOLAS ST NETHERKIRKGATE
U N I O N S T R E E T
Aberdeen in 1784. A illustrate the workings of the MARISCHAL STREET
Union
P King’s College series of coats of arms many oil installations situated U N I O N T E R R A C E BELMONT STREET St Nicholas VIR GINIA STREET JAMES STREET
Kirk
College Bounds, Old contrast colourfully with off the east coast of Scotland. Terrace Maritime S H I P R O W REGENT QUAY
Museum
SHORE LA
Aberdeen. Tel (01224) the white walls and Gdns.
DENBURN ROAD
272000. Open daily (chapel: pillars. They represent R St Machar’s Cathedral THE GREEN TR I NI TY QUAY
10am–3:30pm Mon–Fri). 7 the American states and The Chanonry. Tel (01224) 485988. BRAEMAR STIRLING ST Ferry
BANCHORY
STREET
EXCHANGE ST
Founded in 1495, King’s local Jaco bite families. Open Apr–Oct: 9am–4:30pm daily; DENBURN ROAD T RINITY Harbour Terminal BLAIKIES
QUAY
College was the city’s Nov–Mar: 10am–4pm daily. 7 Aberdeen City Centre BRIDGE STREET JAMESONS QUAY
RENNIE'S WYND
first university. The visitor E Art Gallery ∑ stmachar.com G U I L D S T RE ET
centre gives background Lantern tower, Schoolhill. Tel (01224) This 15th-century cathedral is 1 Art Gallery Bus Station M A R K E T S T R E E T REGENT ROAD
on its long history. The King’s College 523700 or 03000 200 293. the city’s oldest granite build ing. 2 St Nicholas Kirk Train Station
inter denominational Open see website or call One of its arches dates back to 3 Provost Skene’s House F I S H M A R K E T
chapel, consecutively Catholic for details. 7 - ∑ aagm.co.uk the 14th century. The nave is a 4 Marischal College CO L L E G E S T R E E T
Fish
and Protestant in the past, has a Housed in a Neo-Classical parish church and its ceiling is 5 St Andrew’s Cathedral Market
distinctive lantern tower, rebuilt building, the Art Gallery has adorned with coats of arms of 6 Mercat Cross STONEHAVEN
in 1633. Douglas Strachan’s a significant collection of popes and emperors. 7 Maritime Museum
For hotels and restaurants see pp176–7 and pp187–9 For map symbols see back flap
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