Aberdeen’s West End trades the shopping bustle of the centre for cathedrals, leafy residential streets, museums and some of the city’s best-loved parks. It’s a quieter, more reflective side of the Granite City, and home to one of Scotland’s most moving memorials.
Aberdeen’s Cathedrals
St Machar’s Cathedral on The Chanonry is one of three cathedrals in the city. This west-end place of worship, and its famous ceiling of 48 heraldic shields, dates back to the 15th century. The other two are St Mary of the Assumption Cathedral on Huntly Street and St Andrew’s Cathedral on King Street. Together they trace centuries of the city’s religious history.
Piper Alpha Memorial Garden, Hazlehead Park
On 6 July 1988, 167 men lost their lives in a series of gas explosions on an offshore platform 120 miles north-east of Aberdeenshire; only 61 men survived by jumping into the North Sea. The impact on the region was, and remains, catastrophic. In 1991 a memorial by Sue Jane Taylor was unveiled at the North Sea Memorial Rose Garden in Hazlehead Park. The bronze depicts three workers, one modelled on survivor Bill Barron. Taylor was chosen for her long-running work with the offshore energy sector, having previously spent a week photographing and sketching the workers of Piper Alpha for her exhibition Oil Worker Scotland.
The Gordon Highlanders Museum
Winston Churchill described them as “The Finest Regiment in the World”, and you can decide whether you agree at The Gordon Highlanders Museum on Viewfield Road. The displays detail the regiment’s action around the world, along with its weapons and its silver. It’s a consistently high-rated Aberdeen attraction, scoring 4.5/5 on Tripadvisor.
Johnston Gardens
The city has many green spaces, and one of the prettiest sits close to the Gordon Highlanders Museum: Johnston Gardens on Viewfield Road. This compact award-winning garden packs in a pond, rockeries, waterfalls and little bridges, and makes a peaceful stop after the museum. For more of Aberdeen’s historic architecture, pair the West End with Old Aberdeen.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cathedrals does Aberdeen have?
Three: St Machar’s Cathedral in the West End, St Mary of the Assumption on Huntly Street, and St Andrew’s Cathedral on King Street.
What is the Piper Alpha Memorial?
A bronze by Sue Jane Taylor in Hazlehead Park’s North Sea Memorial Rose Garden, honouring the 167 men who died in the 1988 offshore-platform disaster.
Is the Gordon Highlanders Museum worth visiting?
Yes — it scores 4.5/5 on Tripadvisor and covers the regiment’s worldwide history, weapons and silver on Viewfield Road.
