//
Photo: Unknown artistUnknown artist, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Guestrow (walk under passageway at St. Nicholas House on Broad Street and it's in the little plaza there). Scottish towns and cities have a "provost" instead of a mayor and this house used to belong to Provost George Skene. The large, picturesque house dates from 1545 (it's the oldest house left in the city).
Sir George Skene of Fintray (1619–1708) was a Scottish merchant in the Baltic trade who served as Provost of the city of Aberdeen from 1676 to 1685. He was knighted in 1681.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
The tolbooth was the main municipal building or Town Hall, for council meetings, courthouse and jail. This 17th-century example had jail cells in centuries past, and played a key role in the city's history, including the Jacobite rebellions. The museum has fascinating displays on crime and punishment, and on the history of the city. Limited access for visitors with mobility difficulties.
RGU
RGU became a university in 1992; it was founded in 1750 by the Aberdeen merchant Robert Gordon. It has 9800 undergrads, 6000 postgrads and 660 academic staff. In 2010 it awarded an honorary degree to Donald Trump but revoked this in 2015, maybe the reason we've heard little of him since.
This museum, rated 5-star by the Scottish Tourist Board, tells the story of Aberdeen's relationship with the sea, from fishing to trade to North Sea oil. It offers an extraordinary insight into the mechanics and technology of ships and oil rigs, Aberdeen's rich maritime history and the lives of some of the people who have worked offshore in the North Sea for the past 500 years. The newest part of the complex is a blue, glass-fronted building on the cobbled Shiprow. Inside is a spiral walkway, rising upwards around an eye-catching model of an oil rig. Connected to this structure are the much older buildings which take visitors through a series of castle-style corridors and staircases to reach the numerous room sets, historical artefacts and scale models. If your time in Aberdeen is limited, go and see this. There is so much to see, and even the buildings themselves are worth a look. There is also a restaurant that is slightly expensive, but the food is pretty good. There are excellent views of the harbour from the top floor.
3-screen cinema showing arthouse, foreign and selected mainstream films. Went into administration on 6 October 2022, and a charity has been formed to save it; they have redevelopment plans and are fundraising in 2026. Occasional events are held in the cinema whilst it is closed.