Aberdeen city centre has a stunning array of heritage and history, as featured in Aberdeen City Council’s Sculpture and Curios Trail. Here is the start of the trail, in and around the ancient Castlegate area.
This statue dates from the late 18th century, when it was installed on top of the Castlegate Well. It is known locally as “the Mannie.”
The Mercat Cross dates from 1686, and features six arches, with gargoyles and stonework depictions of Stewart monarchs. On top of the cross is a white marble unicorn (the national animal of Scotland).
The unicorn is a 1990s replica, with the original in the Tolbooth Museum.
A statue of two Gordon Highlanders soldiers.
A magificent statue above the current Archibald Simpson’s bar, depicting the Greek Goddess Demeter (also known as Ceres) with a lion and a cornucopia of the fruits of the earth.
A two minute walk from the Castlegate is the Aberdeen Maritime Museum, next to which is the Aberdeen Fishing Memorial. Dating from 2018, it is by sculptor David Williams-Ellis, and is a tribute to all fishermen and women present and past.
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