Now a museum, this used to be the gaol, where criminals in Aberdeen were kept. Well point out where public hangings used to take place as we start off our tour on crime and punishment in Aberdeen.
The Mercat Cross is where public announcements would be made and public punishment would be handed out. The structure is decorated with carvings of Scottish monarchs and well be focusing on the story of one queen and how she dealt with an outbreak of treason.
The tower of this impressive building is modelled on the one at Balmoral Castle. Well pass by it on the tour and it makes a great photo stop.
Well pass through Seabury Court next to St Andrews Cathedral to give you a sense of the winding streets Aberdeen used to have.
This used to be part of the University of Aberdeen and was traditionally where medical students would study. Well take you round the back to the Anatomy Rooms where dissections would take place and tell you all about Aberdeens relationship with bodysnatchers.
An atmospheric graveyard, filled with lots of history. Well point out the grave of one doctor whose morals left a lot to be desired. You'll also see the mither kirk of Aberdeen, which used to be the centre of early Aberdeen. Learn about horrible church punishments and how witches were imprisoned.
People have been living in The Green for thousands of years but dont make the mistake of thinking that makes it old fashioned. Its a small hipster enclave in Aberdeen with lots of street art and independent restaurants and shops. Here you will hear stories of the child-snatching gang that used to operate in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen grew up around its harbour - so it only makes sense that over the years it has been used for some particularly unpleasant punishments.
The Maritime Museum is a delightful little museum that helps you get to grips with Aberdeens maritime past, from fishing to the oil industry. We pass it on our tour and there is a chance to go in and explore for yourselves.
This self-guided audio tour takes place in Aberdeen.
500 Years Of Crime And Punishment: A Self-Guided Audio Tour - Aberdeen
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Tour Information
Key Details
- Mobile Voucher Accepted
- Hotel pickup Available
- Duration: 2 Hrs 15 Mins
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Language:
English
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Departure Time :
, Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience., 500 Years of Crime and Punishment: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Aberdeen, 1/1/2021 - 2/5/2024Monday - Sunday : 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM.. read more
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Return Details :
VOICEMAP CODE ─── Please check your email at the address you provided when you made this booking. VoiceMap has sent you an eight character code you'll need to redeem your tour. This code can be.. read more
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Cancellation Policy : This activity is non-refundable Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.
Overview
From bodysnatching and beheadings to witchcraft and whippings, we share real life stories of crime and punishment from the last 500 years.
Along the way youll see major Aberdeen landmarks, from Marischal College to the Mercat Cross, and learn how they were witness to darkest chapters in the citys history. Scot Free Tours sheds a light on the baffling and often unjust laws of the last five centuries and reveals that past is not as far away as we think.
Thousands of people have loved our 5-star rated live tours and now you can experience them with freedom of an audio guide! The tour plays audio automatically at exactly the right time and place using your smartphone's GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which also works offline. Start the tour in the app, put your phone in your pocket, and let us guide you around Aberdeen.
The total walking distance is 3km and takes about 45 minutes without stopping, but you can pause anytime!
Know More about this tour
Itinerary:
Now a museum, this used to be the gaol, where criminals in Aberdeen were kept. We’ll point out where public hangings used to take place as we start off our tour on crime and punishment in Aberdeen.
The Mercat Cross is where public announcements would be made – and public punishment would be handed out. The structure is decorated with carvings of Scottish monarchs and we’ll be focusing on the story of one queen and how she dealt with an outbreak of treason.
The tower of this impressive building is modelled on the one at Balmoral Castle. We’ll pass by it on the tour and it makes a great photo stop.
We’ll pass through Seabury Court next to St Andrew’s Cathedral to give you a sense of the winding streets Aberdeen used to have.
This used to be part of the University of Aberdeen and was traditionally where medical students would study. We’ll take you round the back to the Anatomy Rooms where dissections would take place and tell you all about Aberdeen’s relationship with bodysnatchers.
An atmospheric graveyard, filled with lots of history. We’ll point out the grave of one doctor whose morals left a lot to be desired. You'll also see the ‘mither kirk’ of Aberdeen, which used to be the centre of early Aberdeen. Learn about horrible church punishments and how witches were imprisoned.
People have been living in The Green for thousands of years – but don’t make the mistake of thinking that makes it old fashioned. It’s a small hipster enclave in Aberdeen with lots of street art and independent restaurants and shops. Here you will hear stories of the child-snatching gang that used to operate in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen grew up around its harbour - so it only makes sense that over the years it has been used for some particularly unpleasant punishments.
The Maritime Museum is a delightful little museum that helps you get to grips with Aberdeen’s maritime past, from fishing to the oil industry. We pass it on our tour and there is a chance to go in and explore for yourselves.
This self-guided audio tour takes place in Aberdeen.
Inclusions
- Lifetime access to this tour in English
- VoiceMap app for Android and iOS
- Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
Exclusions
- Smartphone and headphones
- Transportation
- Food and drink
- Tickets or entrance fees to any museums or other attractions en route
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adults lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Traveler Reviews
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The directions were clear and easy to follow. The map was nice just in case. The whole experience was very enjoyable and I would happily try a tour like this again Date of experience: June 2022
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Fun experience walking around being told a little of the history of Aberdeen, One important note though, it uses a fair bit of phone battery running the app due to gps, make sure your phone is fully charged or have a portable charger ready, otherwise a great activity to kill a couple of hours.
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The tour was easy to follow, and we could go off the beaten path whenever we wanted to, we particularly enjoyed walking through the St Nicholas cemetery, but the Tolbooth museum was closed, so I was disappointed that we couldn’t go in, also since this is in a busy downtown area I would not recommend taking this tour alone nor if you have difficulty walking as there are many stairs and cobblestone walkways that could be challenging
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As a couple, on a short break, we enjoyed this tour , it took us to places we wouldn’t have gone without the tour, but as it’s self guided we were able to go at our own pace, we probably would have stopped off at the maritime museum but it was closed we did however stop near the end at the Stoble museum which was free and interactive, will do another tour with this company, Thanks
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I went on this tour alone in the early afternoon on a bright sunny day. Started off well but a short while into the tour, I found myself in a very uncomfortable situation. Obviously, with phone in hand (to take photos or check map) and earphones in and leaves you slightly vulnerable in places you are not familiar with. Castlehill was a narrow single track lane with a bend which I couldn’t see around and no one else about. Turning the corner, there were a couple of homeless guys in a place strewn with cans and bottles. I felt very uneasy and uncomfortable but decided to carry on rather than go back. The next part was also very odd - no one about and I decided to take heed of my instincts and abandon the tour. It was a shame as I’m sure it would have been excellent. Maybe just don’t do it alone unless you’re a 6 foot 4 bodybuilder!
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Really impressed by how easy it is to follow the directions. Great narration and good easy walk through the city. Really enjoyed and definitely recommend if you’re not sure how to see Aberdeen. Will be trying these tours out in other cities now too!
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Very enjoyable and rest interesting to hear about the witches and the body snatching. Very creepy alley ways and spooky vibes
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Very interesting and entertaining the walk took us through some beautiful buildings and the information on history of the area was very useful
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An interesting guided tour, lived in Aberdeen for 12 years but still learned a lot. Great to be able to take the tour when it suited us, and at our speed. Shame that the 2 museums mentioned were still closed but that’s Covid related.
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This was a very interesting tour, which was informative and enjoyable. Easy to follow the route and great to do at my pace
