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Castle Street, ABERDEEN, AB11 5BA

Grand granite building at the east end of Aberdeen's Union Street. It was designed by Archibald Simpson (1819) and is built in white ashlar granite, in classical style with ionic columns. Union Buildings used to house the Athenaeum (reading library) before becoming Jimmy Hay's Restaurant. Fire in 1973 burnt out the building which was since restored and now is occupied by the Athenaeum pub. The statue on the right is "The Mannie in the Green" - it was sited in The Green in earlier days. "Before it burnt down it was The Royal Athenaeum restaurant, catering for a select private clientele in the 1960s - civic functions and especially for the "Royals". The "top floor" today was not the top floor, it now does not have the attics which were used for changing rooms, kitchen staff tearooms, dry good store etc. as well as the access to rooftop. In picture, top left was main kitchen, centre window was pantry and the right window was Pastry". [Thanks - John Donaldson].

This fine building at the corner of Union Street and King Street has had various uses. It is presently part of the J D Wetherspoon pub empire and very popular with students. In the background, across King Street is La Lombarda, which claims to be the oldest Italian restaurant in the UK -- and is strongly recommended by the photographer.

This splendidly named pub, serving real ale, is just opposite the main entrance to the Sheriff's Court in Aberdeen.

Famous old street descending from Castlegate to Aberdeen Harbour. This is the city's first flyover, being built on embankments and arches across Virginia Street. These Georgian houses are built of Loanhead granite - quarried in the Rosemount area. The blue ship in the distance is one of the "North Boats" which service Orkney and Shetland.

The B-listed houses (see: http://data.historic-scotland.gov.uk/pls/htmldb/f?p=2200:15:0::::BUILDING:20428 ) on the sharply-sloping street connecting the Castlegate and the harbour date from the mid-18th Century.

Dating from 1763, this was originally a town house but the ground floor is now a pub, which has expanded into the next property down the street. Listed category B (LB20173) as "a significant part of the streetscape and a good example of later 18th century building".

The most serious crimes are tried here, with a judge and jury of 15 (not 12) people. The A-listed (see: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/sc-20174-53-castle-street-sheriff-court-annex-and- ) building dates from 1801 and was originally a bank. It only became a court as recently as 2005.

Looking across Regent Quay and over the granite buildings of the city centre.

Castlegate, Aberdeen. The Mannie-in-the-Green is now just The Mannie since he was resited there in the 1980s. He's atop the old well from the Green. The Tolbooth is Aberdeen's old prison and was used to house Jacobite prisoners in 1746. It has since been re-opened as a museum.

The suitably imposing main courthouse in Aberdeen. To its right is part of the Archibald Simpson pub. Visible in the near right is the lead statue of the "Mannie."