Opening date announced for Provost Skene’s House

27 September 2021

A new visitor attraction celebrating the pioneering people of Aberdeen and the North-East will open to the public on Saturday, October 9, 2021.

Dating from 1545, Provost Skene’s House is the oldest surviving town house in Aberdeen. It has been added to and altered many times during its life and since 2019, the house has undergone major refurbishment as part of Aberdeen City Council’s 25-year City Centre Masterplan. The new attraction will be managed and operated by the city’s Archives, Gallery and Museums service.

Inside Provost Skene’s House, new interactive displays celebrate some of the remarkable people from Aberdeen and the North-East who have not only shaped the city, but have also helped transform the world. These include innovators, scientists, live savers, writers, sporting champions and stars of stage and screen. Everyone featured was born, has lived or worked in Aberdeen or the North-East.

They range from Nobel laureate Lord Boyd Orr (who helped establish the city’s world-renowned Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health) to operatic soprano Mary Garden (one of entertainment’s first superstars) to football legend Denis Law.

The renovation of Provost Skene’s House has been carried out by Aberdeen City Council’s building services team and included repairs to the fabric of the building and the roof, as well as installation of new mechanical and electrical systems for the digital interactive displays. Works began in July 2019, halted in late March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and restarted at the end of June 2020.

Capital Programme Committee convener Councillor Marie Boulton said: “Provost Skene’s House is one of the city’s oldest buildings and I’m delighted that the renovations which have now been completed to the highest standards will ensure that it can be enjoyed by new generations of visitors.

"The architects, building services staff, exhibitions designers and specialist contractors have all done a first-class job in difficult circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we look ahead to the October school holidays we are thrilled to be able to welcome visitors to the city’s newest attraction in our most historic building.”

Opening hours will be Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 11am-4pm. Admission is free.