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

On the left of this image part of the Aberdeen Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, also known as Alford Place Church, at 2 Alford Place is shown.

The building was developed from an existing cottage in 1887 as a library and museum for Christ's College.

Located across the road, Christ's College trained ministers for the Free Church. The library and museum were built to a Gothic Tudor design by Messrs Matthews & Mackenzie.

Its construction was financed by Dr Francis Edmond of Kingswells. An account of the project can be found in the Aberdeen Weekly Journal of 23rd April 1887, page 5.

The building was in use as a library until 1985 when it was put up for sale by the Church of Scotland (P&J, 21/05/1985, p.9). It was purchased by the Free Presbyterian Church who refurbished the building and opened it as a church in 1988 (P&J, 28/10/1988, p.3).

514-520 Union Street is a 3-storey and attic tenement. Historic Environment Scotland suggest that details of particular note include the shallow canted oriels (bay windows) through the 1st and 2nd floors, and the decorative scrolls flanking the pedimented centre bay of the attic floor.

Diane Morgan in The Granite Mile (2008) suggests a notable historic occupant of 516 Union Street was a newsagent and stationer called MacKeggie. Newspaper notices indicate the business operated from 1897 to the mid-1980s.

In this image the ground floor shops are occupied by Sovereign, a barber, Social Bite, a café outlet of the charity and social business tackling homelessness, and Falafel Delight, a takeaway specialising in the Middle Eastern delicacy.

Location

Union Street

Keyword

Architecture

Photographer

Roddy Millar