Top Northeast Scotland Arts & Design

Discover a different side to Aberdeen on this street art walking tour. On this 1.5 hour you’ll meander down alleys and under bridges to uncover some of the city’s most beautiful pieces of art that are taking over the walls by storm. All with a local, expert guide. From unassuming corners to major buildings, there’s art around every turn and your guide knows just where to find the best of the best. Each tour is unique, with the route constantly being updated to include new pieces of art! Among the 10+ murals you will see include: Man & Dog - Smug Lego Wall - Jan Vormann Side Profile - Alice Pasquini Unicorn - Bordalo

Having to wait in long lines puts a damper on trip activities, but pre-booking your ticket means you can skip the line to enter the Dundee Botanic Garden. Once inside, you are free to explore the garden and temperate arboretum housing botanical wonders collected from all over the world.

Explore four full decks of a remarkably preserved 1824 warship, where original cabins, gun decks and crew spaces reveal the real lives of sailors. See how over 300 men lived and worked aboard, from sleeping in hammocks to operating heavy guns, bringing the human stories of naval life to life. Unlike most historic ships, HMS Unicorn remains largely unchanged, thanks to its sheltered early history, making it one of the most authentic vessels in the world. Its unique design also captures a turning point in naval history, combining traditional wooden shipbuilding with early industrial innovation.

Visit “Scotland’s Alcatraz”, long the country’s only high-security prison, without the hassle of waiting in line at the ticket office. Head straight inside and follow the audio tour to learn about the 125-year history of the former HM Convict Prison, including the infamous 1987 siege and Britain’s first state-owned railway. Walk through the galleries and halls as you listen to the stories of prison officers for a fully immersive experience.

Explore the lesser known history of Aberdeen, alongside discovering some of the newest street art, all along the old road into Aberdeen. Battles, kidnappings and a martyred monk – these stories all took place along the old road into Aberdeen. But the road has also been the focus of more uplifting incidents, from tales of drinking to struggles for equality. Scot Free Tours brings to life what used to be Aberdeen’s most important road, guaranteeing that you will never see it in the same way ever again. Discover hidden gems and sensational street art as we explore some of Aberdeen’s forgotten places. Scot Free Tours has been running tours since 2016. Since then we have become the top-ranked tour provider in Aberdeen, collecting TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 with more than five hundred five-star reviews.