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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.
Robert Gordon University, commonly called RGU, is a public research university in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. It became a university in 1992, and originated from an educational institution founded in the 18th century by Robert Gordon, an Aberdeen merchant, and various institutions which provided adult and technical education in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is one of two universities in the city, the other being the University of Aberdeen. RGU is a campus university in Garthdee, in the south-west of the city.
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The Aberdeen Art Gallery is set in a Victorian building with an exquisite marble and granite main hall. On the ground floor are housed modern works including pieces by Tracy Emin and Gilbert & George, with many others. Upstairs hang more traditional paintings and sculpture. These include Impressionist pieces and workandy the Scottish Colourists. There are frequent temporary exhibitions (see website) and also display of antique silverware and decorative pieces. Columns in the main hall display the many different colours of local granite used to build the city. There is a good gift shop too. For those who like art, an afternoon could easily be spent here, but at least a quick browse is well worth it for anyone.
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.
It hosts a wide range of plays, musicals and panto. It also has a good restaurant.
A small city-centre park and sunken garden on one side of Union Terrace. A small river, the Denburn, used to flow here but is now covered by the railway. The gardens are a haven of tranquility and greenery in the city-centre. In summer look out for the floral coat of arms, and in warm weather citizens sunbathe and picnic on the lawns. All year round, the gardens give a good view of the surrounding architecture. From 2010 the park was threatened with grandiose redevelopment plans, but in 2012 the council scrapped this idea. A more modest plan was undertaken for £28.3 million and the park was closed from 2019 -2022.
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).
Opened as the Assembly Rooms in 1822, this is an elegant setting for classical and popular music, stand-up comedy and other performances.