Hidden Scotland
Sign in
King's College Chapel at dusk, its crown tower lit against a pink and violet sky.
Aberdeen

King’s College

The heart of the University of Aberdeen in Old Aberdeen, founded in 1495, with its chapel of 1509 and the famous crown tower.

Welcome

Two miles north of the city centre, the cobbled High Street of Old Aberdeen leads to the heart of the university, and to one of the great sights of the city: the tower of King's College Chapel, topped by a carved stone crown.

The university was founded in 1495 by Bishop William Elphinstone, under a bull from the Pope, and the chapel was built for it between 1498 and 1509. The crown on its tower is an imperial one, a statement of Scotland's standing; the first was blown down in a storm in 1633, and the one you see replaced it. Inside, carved wooden stalls, dark with age, and a great organ fill the chapel, and outside an old carved tomb stands before it.

The chapel is open to visitors on weekdays, and services are held in term. Walk through the quadrangle and on along the High Street to St Machar's Cathedral and the botanic garden.

The Daily

Arrives at 5am every day.

A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.

The Daily for 1 November, from Scotland with love. A misty lane runs past slate-roofed cottages toward a wooded hillside.
Not farCruden Bay Golf ClubLinks golf through towering dunes above the bay at Cruden Bay, on the Aberdeenshire coast, with Slains Castle on the cliffs beyond.19 milesSee itCruden Bay Golf Club
Before you go

The chapel is open to visitors Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, according to the university; the grounds can be walked at any time.

Where
High Street, Old Aberdeen, AB24 3SW.
Founded
1495.
Chapel
Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm.

Been here? Tell others what you know, and the best go on this page with your name.

Add your review
Where it is

On the High Street of Old Aberdeen, two miles north of the city centre, AB24 3SW.

Close byOld Aberdeen.
  1. The Powis GatesThe Powis GatesUnder a mile 1 min by road
  2. Open iron gates lead into a snow-dusted graveyard with a Celtic cross headstoneThe Snow KirkUnder a mile 1 min by road
  3. Granite building with a maroon-fronted café on a cobbled corner streetKilau CoffeeUnder a mile 1 min by road
  4. Wrought-iron gates spelling "Cruickshank Botanic Garden" before a granite buildingCruickshank Botanic GardenThe university's garden nearby.Under a mile 2 min by road
  5. Lit lamppost beside a cobbled bridge scattered with autumn leavesBrig o' BalgownieScotland's oldest bridge, over the Don.2 miles 4 min by road
  6. Driftwood on a sandy shoreline with waves lapping at duskDonmouth Nature ReserveSeals at the river mouth.2 miles 5 min by road
Directions
Stepped gable and granite frontage of the St Machar BarRestaurantsSt Machar Bar0.2 miles
A hand holds a halved wrap outside Grub, "real food with a differenceCafeGrub Old Aberdeen0.2 miles
Granite building with glass gable extension and neon "Café" signCafeShelter Café0.3 miles
Old Aberdeen Bookshop's blue-fronted shopfront beneath a granite tenement buildingShoppingOld Aberdeen Bookshop0.3 miles
Stone pillars line the nave towards the altar under a timber roofAttractionsSt Machar’s Cathedral0.4 miles
Fat Batch on Elmbank Terrace on a sunny day: a pale green shopfront with a pig between the words of its name, set into a granite tenement.CafeFat Batch0.5 miles
Curved balconies of bookshelves stack across multiple floors inside a modern libraryAttractionsThe Sir Duncan Rice Library0.6 miles
Stone tower house with conical roof, surrounded by trees on a grassy moundAttractionsWallace Tower0.7 miles
Chinese restaurant entrance with pagoda roof and Manchurian phone number signRestaurantsManchurian0.8 miles

Recommend to a friend

Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

Get Issue 13Read it here
Read on

What we have written about it and more in Aberdeen.

ArticleThings to See and Do in Aberdeen
More in Aberdeen
Find out more

For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .