The Dark Side of Aberdeen: A Self-guided Audio Walk
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Explore the murkier corners of Aberdeen at your own pace with this highly acclaimed self guided audio walking tour of Aberdeen. Beginning from the Mercat Cross, you'll weave your way through hundreds of years of history while discovering the stories of piracy, slavery, and insurrection that the city hides in plain sight. Hear about "Indian Pete" and his efforts to banish child slavery. The tour is ready whenever you feel like taking a stroll. It plays audio automatically at exactly the right time and place using your smart phone's GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which also works offline. It does not need a network connection to work. If you've got an hour and want to see some of the grisly and gloomy corners that Aberdeen has to offer – this is the tour for you!
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
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
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
What‘s Included
VoiceMap Application
Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
Lifetime access to 'Dark Aberdeen: Piracy, Slavery and Insurrection' tour
Smartphone
Transportation
Food/drinks
Tickets or entrance fees to any museums or other attractions en route
What To Expect
Marischal College
The tour takes you on a wandering walk beginning at the Mercat Cross, near the Tourist Office, and ending with a dramatic view of the city's crown jewel - Marischall College. Start the tour in the app, put your phone in your pocket, and let your guide direct you through the streets. The total walking distance is approximately 1.5km and takes about an hour without stopping, but you can pause anytime! Most people will opt to stop for a coffee or ice-cream snack or for photography opportunities along the way. The narration is crisply mastered by a professional audio engineering staff, and the tour creates an engaging experience that is suitable for all ages that can wear ear buds. Key landmarks include: • Mercat Cross (Market Cross) • Aberdeen Harbour • Aberdeen Maritime Museum and Provost Ross House • Marischal Square and Marischal College • Provost Skene's House The exact route can be seen upon downloading or viewing the tour. Audio from the tour can also be previewed at this site.
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
The Aberdeen Maritime Museum charts the close relationship between Aberdeen, its harbour and the sea. Inside there are fascinating exhibits from the fishing, ship building and oil industries.
Options
The Dark Side of Aberdeen: A Self-guided Audio Walk
Reviews
21 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Very good loads of good...
Gail M,
Jul 22, 2025
- Viator
5.00Very good loads of good information although some a little but outdated due to construction works. Overall really good
Great is of tech and highly informative.
John M,
Feb 22, 2023
- Viator
5.00Have lived in Aberdeen all my life and still learnt a lot from the tour. Great tech which allows you to not be rushed and do your at convenient time. Looking forward to our next one.
Great way to explore the city found out lots of interesting facts and will definitely do it again with my partner
sophie w,
Oct 19, 2022
- Viator
5.00Finding new places in Aberdeen that I've never seen before or didn't know anything about. Will definitely recommend
Nicely narrated stroll through Aberdeen
H W,
Jul 1, 2022
- Tripadvisor
5.00This was great value for money and perfectly pitched for a light stroll around Aberdeen. I did it with a local friend who also enjoyed it. Not sure if we missed a talk point but the tiled mural depicting the history of the Aberdeen Witch Panic is well worth a stop for a read. It was just before the Prince of Wales Pub in the corner of St Nicholas’ lane. Highly recommend.
Brilliant to learn about Aberdeen by yourself
nickjtravels,
Nov 22, 2020
- Tripadvisor
5.00A very informative tour of Aberdeen that we did on our brief stop in Aberdeen earlier this year. When we return we will be doing one of the other tours on VoiceMap. Altogether a great experience that is perfect in a COVID-19 world as you go around by yourselves and will still work well when this pandemic is well behind us. We were so pleased with this tour we did another one in Liverpool on the same trip and this was of the same quality. Just make sure you have plenty of charge on your phone!
Aberdeen self guided walking tour
Kevhol2020,
Sep 25, 2020
- Tripadvisor
5.00Informative, interesting tour that wasn’t too long and gave good opportunities for a break if needed. Tracking and positioning system worked well to direct and start narrative at the right time.
Not as Dark as Expected
Jason C,
Jun 15, 2025
- Viator
4.00This audio tour works really well but it had less dark side stuff than I expected. Although the the slavery stuff was harrowing. The GPS trigger for audio worked great!
Quick fun! Great way to spend first day in Aberdeen.
217carenh,
May 29, 2025
- Tripadvisor
4.00The walking tour was a great way to squeeze in an orientation to the city into the jet-lagged day I arrived in Aberdeen. The tour took a little more than an hour, and the navigation worked great-- I had one wrong turn, and the app told me right away. It was a great way to learn a few facts about a lovely, historic, walkable city. I accidentally paused the narration frequently by putting my phone in my pocket, though, so I took away one star for that minor annoyance.
Quick Introvert-friendly Tour
zyrar2023,
Mar 27, 2023
- Tripadvisor
4.00On my first day in Aberdeen, I took this self-guided tour and it was a great chance for me to explore the place at my own pace. I love the tour’s topic since I’m a true crime fan and Dark Aberdeen is fantastic. As an introvert, this is a great chance to have fun going solo and digest the information given about the various stops. I recommend this tour to those who wants a short tour around and with its bite-sized info, it’s perfect for those who doesn’t want to be overwhelmed with too much facts while on foot.
Eye-opening History tour.
SueGee,
Jul 18, 2022
- Viator
4.00It was so refreshing to hear an unsanitised view of Aberdeen history. The commentary was excellent, but I still managed to get lost!
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