Private Tour

500 Years of Crime and Punishment: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Overview

Available languages

English

Mobile ticket

From bodysnatching and beheadings to witchcraft and whippings, we share real life stories of crime and punishment from the last 500 years on this self-guided GPS audio tour.

Along the way you’ll see major Aberdeen landmarks, from Marischal College to the Mercat Cross, and learn how they were witness to darkest chapters in the city’s history. Scot Free Tours sheds a light on the baffling and often unjust laws of the last five centuries – and reveals that past is not as far away as we think.

Thousands of people have loved our 5-star rated live tours and now you can experience them with freedom of an audio guide! The tour plays audio automatically at exactly the right time and place using your smartphone's GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which also works offline. Start the tour in the app, put your phone in your pocket, and let us guide you around Aberdeen.

The total walking distance is 3km and takes about 45 minutes without stopping, but you can pause anytime!

Additional Info

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Lifetime access to this tour in English

VoiceMap app for Android and iOS

Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata

Smartphone and headphones

Transportation

Food and drink

Tickets or entrance fees to any museums or other attractions en route

What To Expect

The Tolbooth Museum

Now a museum, this used to be the gaol, where criminals in Aberdeen were kept. We’ll point out where public hangings used to take place as we start off our tour on crime and punishment in Aberdeen.

Admission Not Applicable

Castlegate

The Mercat Cross is where public announcements would be made – and public punishment would be handed out. The structure is decorated with carvings of Scottish monarchs and we’ll be focusing on the story of one queen and how she dealt with an outbreak of treason.

Admission Not Applicable

Options

500 Years of Crime and Punishment: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Reviews

4.14

29 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Good Fun But Stopped Working
AberdeenMadMinx,
Aug 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
The tour was a good price and easy to download and prepare to use. In the description it stated that it could be used without Internet as long as you had it downloaded, however this was not the case for me. The tour worked pretty well for 13 clips (with just a couple of bits where we were left confused). After this it just stopped working and we wandered about trying to find where to go next, after about 10 mins a deep voice boomed that we were lost and to check our map 🤣 . However the map told us nothing so we gave up. What we did hear was interesting and we found it good fun, just don't take it too seriously.
500 Years tour
Richard B,
Apr 23, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00
Tour itself was interesting but the directions need to be better. I spent 20 minutes trying to figure out how to get to the next stop. I ended up just skipping those and keep going.
A bit too expensive for too little added value
blaeveren,
Aug 26, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
It was nice to walk along less well known parts of Aberdeen, and the offline tour with GPS worked really well. I just am not impressed by the (short) stories or the narration of it. If you read or have heard a lot about Aberdeen of Scottish history this tour won't add a lot of value, certainly not in relation to its price.
Weird walk
Samira D,
Jun 1, 2024
- Review from Viator
2.00
This tour should definitely be updated as there are lots of construction sites through out the walk. Furthermore, some of the walk will guide you though not so nice parts of the city that seem unnecessary. The starting point is hard to see through construction and I wish we would get more background knowledge of the sites we pass.
Fun and enlightening
Yvonne J,
Apr 13, 2024
- Review from Viator
4.00
Interesting stories told well; saw the city in a different light ; explored parts of the city that I wouldn’t otherwise
Love the Personalized guided tour on my time.
Charlotte H,
Sep 25, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00
My husband and I were able to take the tour at our speed, stopping where we wanted to stop and adjust as we saw fit. This was perfect for getting to know a new area with the stories and history. It is my absolute favorite way to see a city. I will definitely be checking out more as we travel in our future. Thank you.
Few glitches but very enjoyable
68sarab,
Sep 23, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
This was my first time working with GPS specific technology. Loved the information, delivered in an easy to listen to and engaging tone. Witch trials, beheadings, body snatchers, Mary Queen of Scots and and anatomy school! Really fascinating. Route was interesting with varied terrain. Personally had a bit of a fail as was unable to access the church yard as it was locked, but may have been doing my tour a little late. Found my way back on route without too much bother and peered through the railings. One of the other buildings referred to has, I think been demolished since the tour was recorded (little disorientating). I think that this is well worth doing if you have an hour or two to spend. Would recommend.
Highly recommended - really interesting
376arweng,
Aug 11, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was excellent and I'd highly recommend it. So good to be able to go at a time that suited us and the app installation was very straightforward. The tour itself was really interesting, well narrated and a good length, with opportunities to stop and look at things in more detail. Very good value for money.
Dont
Cheryl S,
Aug 4, 2023
- Review from Viator
1.00
Super frustrating Could not find where to start even with asking 4 locals After 30minutes of walking around i gave up
Be cautious
Jo P,
Jun 17, 2023
- Review from Viator
3.00
Great story but a bit ‘ify’ in parts for the directions at points & possibly due to a combo of locus & poor connectivity. However when you pass the multi storey flats its a point of danger. These flats are rife with crime & not sure that tourists should be alone here. Im a native & had concerns. That aside, the commentary was great, very informative & plenty to learn from the tour itself