The Granite City

In the late 1970s Aberdeen became the centre of European oil. The wealth that this brought obscured the beauty that lay in the granite that Aberdeen is built on. Hopefully these photos will give you a sense of what lies deep in our city – craft, engineering, imagination, resilience.

Tivoli Theatre, Aberdeen. The doors above the street are used to load flats onto the stage. First opened in 1872 as Her Majesty’s Theatre the Tivoli was built on the site of an even earlier Theatre.

The old harbour control tower for Aberdeen harbour. This is where the pilot cutter and harbour movements were controlled from.

“The bridge” of the old harbour control tower near the entrance of Aberdeen harbour. Right into the 1990s there was still a large fish market and fishing fleet sailing from Aberdeen. Today the harbour is dominated by oil supply vessels.

These cottages are part of Fittee (Foot Dee). Lying at the mouth of the Dee and the entrance to Aberdeen Harbour this once fishing village is now a popular tourist stop.

Stamp dispensers, King Street, Aberdeen

Wrought Iron steps, Banchory high street.

Sundial on gable. This building is currently the Andrew Begg shoe shop and was built in 1694. The next door building (to the right) is 200 years younger. Though you’d never know it from looking at them.

19th Central middle European influences represented in Granite. I don’t think there is another building in Aberdeen with the windows framed in pink Peterhead granite rather than the typical grey Rubislaw.

You’d be forgiven for ignoring the solicitations of the sparkling “Crown Street” sign as you make you’re way down Union Street. But there are some real gems if you’re willing to spare a glance.

Different centuries, different styles, one granite