The church towards the centre of this image is Gilcomston South. This was designed by architect William Smith (1817-1891). It was opened 1868 and served as the second, more elaborate premises of the United Free Church in Aberdeen. The first had been a more simple granite box-auditorium on Huntly Street. An illustration of this earlier building features in Gammie's Churches of Aberdeen (1909) on page 127.

Historic Environment Scotland, in the entry for the building on their listed buildings portal, describe Gilcomston South as an interesting example of asymmetrical planning. This style had been advocated 30 years prior to its construction by the Camden Society and Ecclesiologists in England and continued to be advocated by the Aberdeen Ecclesiological Society into the late 19th century.

The entry for the church on Aberdeen City Council's Historic Environment Record gives much detail of its history and development over the years.

Across Summer Street is 402-406 Union Street. This building has been a Pizza Express since 1998 (Evening Express, 06/06/1998, p. 13). This was the fourth branch of the successful restaurant chain to open in Scotland after venues in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee. Before Pizza Express, a restaurant called Hobson's had occupied the building.

A notable historic occupant of this site was William "Sweetie" Thomson's confectionery shop. It traded on the corner of Summer Street for more than half a century.

This section of Union Street has unusual numbering. The block to the east of Gilcomston South, a branch of NatWest until 2022, is 262 Union Street. Pizza Express beyond Summer Street is 402-406 Union Street.

To the west of Pizza Express is nos. 408-412. For a long time this has been the location of a branch of WHSmith. Diane Morgan explains that historically 412 was the West End Bookshop, known for actively encouraging children to read and having a lending library downstairs.

Likely established in the 1930s, by the the mid-1950s, the West End Bookshop had become a branch of John Menzies, which was later owned by WHSmith (The Granite Mile, p. 175). The shop appears to have retained the West End Bookshop name until the late 1980s.

A photograph by Roddy Millar, taken 17/07/2024, from a series surveying the architecture of the north side of Union Street.

The church towards the centre of this image is Gilcomston South. This was designed by architect William Smith (1817-1891). It was opened 1868 and served as the second, more elaborate premises of the United Free Church in Aberdeen. The first had been a more simple granite box-auditorium on Huntly Street. An illustration of this earlier building features in Gammie's Churches of Aberdeen (1909) on page 127.

Historic Environment Scotland, in the entry for the building on their listed buildings portal, describe Gilcomston South as an interesting example of asymmetrical planning. This style had been advocated 30 years prior to its construction by the Camden Society and Ecclesiologists in England and continued to be advocated by the Aberdeen Ecclesiological Society into the late 19th century.

The entry for the church on Aberdeen City Council's Historic Environment Record gives much detail of its history and development over the years.

Across Summer Street is 402-406 Union Street. This building has been a Pizza Express since 1998 (Evening Express, 06/06/1998, p. 13). This was the fourth branch of the successful restaurant chain to open in Scotland after venues in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee. Before Pizza Express, a restaurant called Hobson's had occupied the building.

A notable historic occupant of this site was William "Sweetie" Thomson's confectionery shop. It traded on the corner of Summer Street for more than half a century.

This section of Union Street has unusual numbering. The block to the east of Gilcomston South, a branch of NatWest until 2022, is 262 Union Street. Pizza Express beyond Summer Street is 402-406 Union Street.

To the west of Pizza Express is nos. 408-412. For a long time this has been the location of a branch of WHSmith. Diane Morgan explains that historically 412 was the West End Bookshop, known for actively encouraging children to read and having a lending library downstairs.

Likely established in the 1930s, by the the mid-1950s, the West End Bookshop had become a branch of John Menzies, which was later owned by WHSmith (The Granite Mile, p. 175). The shop appears to have retained the West End Bookshop name until the late 1980s.

Location

Union Street

Keyword

Architecture

Photographer

Roddy Millar