Aberdeen crime history audio tour: 500 years of punishment
Walk Aberdeen's darkest streets on your own schedule, with stories triggered by GPS
This self-guided audio tour traces 500 years of crime and punishment through Aberdeen's streets using GPS-triggered narration on your smartphone. You'll pass Marischal College, the Mercat Cross, the old gaol and St Machar's graveyard, hearing real stories of bodysnatchers, witchcraft trials, public hangings and the laws that shaped the city. The 3km route takes around 45 minutes without stops, but you pause whenever you want. The VoiceMap app works offline and you keep lifetime access once downloaded.
Step-by-step itinerary
Self-guided audio tour of Aberdeen
- Start at former gaol and hangings site
- Visit the Mercat Cross and hear treason story
- Pass by Balmoral Castle-style tower
- Walk through Seabury Court near St Andrew’s Cathedral
- See Anatomy Rooms and learn about bodysnatchers
- Explore historic graveyard and ‘mither kirk’
- Discover The Green and child-snatching gang stories
- Visit Aberdeen harbour and learn about punishments
- Pass Maritime Museum with optional visit
What’s included
- Lifetime access to the audio tour in English.
- the VoiceMap app for both Android and iOS.
- offline audio, maps and GPS data so you don't need internet while walking.
Times
- Every day No fixed time
Information
Self-guided audio tour through Aberdeen's crime and punishment history, from bodysnatching to witchcraft.
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The experience
What makes this tour different is the GPS trigger: start the app, put your phone in your pocket, and audio plays automatically when you reach each stop. You're not following a guide's pace or a group's schedule: the stories arrive exactly where they happened, and you decide how long to stand there. The route covers 3km through central Aberdeen, moving between the former gaol where public hangings took place, the Mercat Cross where punishments were handed out, and St Machar's graveyard where witches were imprisoned and a notorious bodysnatching doctor was buried.
The stories themselves are what pull you through: how a Scottish queen dealt with treason, why Aberdeen's medical students were entangled with bodysnatchers, what happened to children in The Green, and the particularly unpleasant punishments that took place at the harbour. You'll pass Marischal College's tower (modelled on Balmoral Castle) and walk the winding streets around St Andrew's Cathedral to get a sense of how the city was laid out. The Maritime Museum sits on the route if you want to step inside, but it's not required. The tour is built around what you see from the street.
The VoiceMap app downloads to your phone and works without internet, so you're not burning data or waiting for signals. You can start and stop whenever you want, come back to a section, or skip ahead. Once downloaded, you keep access to the tour forever. Children from age 6 can join. Service animals are welcome. You'll need your own smartphone and headphones, and comfortable walking shoes for the 3km distance.
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 20 years); Child (6 to 12 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.
How does the GPS audio trigger work on this tour?
The VoiceMap app uses your smartphone's GPS to play audio automatically when you reach each stop on the route. You start the tour in the app, put your phone away, and the stories play at exactly the right place and time without you having to do anything: no checking a map, no hunting for the next point.
What are the main crime stories you'll hear about on this Aberdeen tour?
The tour covers bodysnatching and medical students, witchcraft trials and church punishments, public hangings at the gaol, treason and a Scottish queen's response, child-snatching gangs in The Green, and harbour punishments. Each story is tied to a specific Aberdeen landmark where it actually happened.
Can I take this tour if I'm not very fit or don't want to walk fast?
The route is 3km and takes around 45 minutes without stopping, but you can pause anytime and take as long as you want. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels, and you control the pace entirely. There's no group keeping you moving or a guide waiting ahead.
Do I need to pay to enter museums or attractions on the route?
The tour is self-guided through the streets and landmarks you pass. Museum and attraction entry fees are not included. The Maritime Museum is on the route if you want to go inside, but it's optional: the audio stories work from the street.
What do I need to bring or download to start this tour?
You'll need a smartphone with the free VoiceMap app installed (available for Android and iOS), headphones, and comfortable walking shoes. The app downloads the audio, maps and GPS data so it works offline: no internet needed once you've set it up.
How long do I have access to this tour after I download it?
Once you download the tour to your phone, you keep lifetime access to it. You can take it as many times as you want, pause and come back later, or revisit favourite stops whenever you're in Aberdeen.
Operated by VoiceMap Audio Tours. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated yesterday
Aberdeen crime history audio tour: 500 years of punishment
45m–2h 15m · EN
from £ 6.92 per person
≈ US$ 9 in your currency
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