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The Tolbooth Museum - 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.
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Castlegate - The Mercat Cross is where public announcements would be made
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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.
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Salvation Army Citadel - 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.
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St. Andrew’s Cathedral - 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.
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Marischal College - 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.
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St. Nicholas Churchyard - 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.
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The Green - People have been living in The Green for thousands of years
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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.
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Aberdeen Harbour - Aberdeen grew up around its harbour - so it only makes sense that over the years it has been used for some particularly unpleasant punishments.
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Aberdeen Maritime Museum - 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.
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Aberdeen - This self-guided audio tour takes place in Aberdeen.
- Lifetime access to the tour
- Available in English
- Includes VoiceMap app for iOS and Android
- Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
- Smartphone and headphones
- Transportation
- Food and drink
- Tickets or entrance fees to any museums or other attractions en route
From tales of grave robbing and executions to stories of magic and corporal punishment, we present you with authentic crime and penalty accounts spanning the last half millennium on this autonomous GPS audio journey.
You’ll encounter key Aberdeen highlights such as Marischal College and the Mercat Cross, all the while learning about their significant roles in some of city’s most grim historical events. Scot Free Tours exposes and interprets the perplexing and frequently unfair laws of yesteryears – demonstrating that history is closer to our present times than we assume.
Our live tours have been rated 5-stars by numerous patrons, and now, you can relish these tours at your own pace via our audio guide! The tour unfolds through automatic audio playback at precisely the right moment and location, courtesy of your smartphone’s GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which also functions offline. Merely begin the tour within the app, keep your phone stowed away, and rely on us to voyage through Aberdeen.
The complete foot journey covers a distance of 3km and typically requires about 45 minutes without any breaks, though you can pause whenever you desire!
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
