Aberdeen: Crime & Punishment Audio Walking Tour by GPS

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.06 (31 reviews) 48% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellation

1/6

Duration45m–2h 15m

GroupPrivate

Audio guideEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Walk Aberdeen’s darker history at your own pace through centuries of crime

You’ll walk Aberdeen’s streets guided by your phone, hearing true stories of crime & punishment as you pass sites like Marischal College and Mercat Cross. Pause whenever you want for coffee or photos—just pick up where you left off. The audio brings old scandals and harsh laws alive in places you’d never expect. It might stick with you longer than you think.

45m–2h 15m

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Aberdeen's crime history

Start at former Aberdeen gaol
See public hanging site
Visit Mercat Cross for announcements
Learn about queen and treason
Pass Balmoral Castle-style tower
Walk through Seabury Court
Visit old University anatomy rooms
Hear about bodysnatchers
Explore atmospheric graveyard
See grave of controversial doctor
Learn about church punishments and witches
Visit The Green hipster enclave
Hear stories of child-snatching gang
Explore Aberdeen harbour punishments
Pass Maritime Museum
Option to explore Maritime Museum

The Experience

I started the audio tour just outside what used to be Aberdeen’s gaol — you can still feel the chill in the stone even on a busy day. The voice in my ear was friendly, almost like a local who’d seen too much, and pointed out where hangings happened right there. I don’t know why, but seeing regular people pass by, totally unaware of what went on here centuries ago, made me shiver a bit. It was only 3km for the full loop but I kept stopping — not just for photos at Marischal College (it really does look like something out of a storybook), but because every corner seemed to have some wild story attached.

The Mercat Cross looked harmless enough until the guide started talking about public punishments and that one queen’s crackdown on treason. There was this moment when I leaned against the cold granite and tried to imagine crowds gathering for news or justice — it’s hard to picture now with all the shops around. And then we wound our way down these tiny alleys near St Andrew’s Cathedral; honestly, I got a bit lost once but the GPS kicked in and nudged me back on track. The stories about bodysnatchers and medical students behind King’s College were both gross and fascinating (I’ll never look at anatomy rooms quite the same).

There was this old graveyard where the wind kept knocking my scarf loose — I lingered longer than planned just listening to tales of witch trials and church punishments. At The Green I grabbed a coffee from some indie café while hearing about child-snatching gangs (which made me side-eye every shadow for a minute). The Maritime Museum popped up near the end if you want to duck inside — I didn’t, but maybe next time. What surprised me most? How close all this history felt, like it hadn’t really left Aberdeen at all. Sometimes you catch yourself staring at a doorway or street sign and thinking about who else stood there before you.

What’s included

Your experience includes lifetime English-language access to this GPS-triggered audio walking tour through Aberdeen using VoiceMap on iOS or Android devices. You’ll also get offline access to maps and narration so you can wander without worrying about signal—or time limits—just bring headphones and let your phone guide you from story to story around town.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by VoiceMap Audio Tours