Northern Seas

Today we decided to venture further afield in search of local history, so in to the big smoke by train we went, much to Joey's delight (because of the TWO TRAINS!!! [there and back], not because he didn't have to walk: it's still a half mile walk to our local train station).  I have to say though that I do love living in a place with lots of public transport at the end of the street, and the train is by far the quickest and simplest way to get in to Aberdeen city centre.

Our destination

Aberdeen Maritime Museum is situated on the historic Shiprow in the heart of the city, near the harbour.  Shiprow was one of the most important streets in the city since it led from the harbour into the Castlegate - the old heart of Aberdeen - and was actually first mentioned in documents in 1281.  Over the years it has become more run down and although it had many historic connection, nearly all of it was demolished in the 1950s and 60s.  Over the last few years Shiprow has been redone dramatically and along with the Maritime Museum there is now a hotel, cinema, restaurant, bar and office developments.

The Museum makes use of a range of buildings on Shiprow including a former church and Provost Ross' House.  Dating from 1593, Provost Ross' House is the second oldest domestic building in the city (after Provost Skene's House) and commands a great view over the busy harbour.

Anyway, the museum tells the story of the city's long relationship with the North Sea, and collections cover shipbuilding, fast sailing ships, fishing and port history, and displays on the North Sea oil industry.  Thanks in part to the children's worksheets we were given, the kids had a great time chasing clues, finding answers and learning more about the city.  We definitely skipped more quickly through the shipbuilding and fishing displays, but they were fascinated to learn more about helicopters, life offshore and the kind of places daddy used to work.

Learning about life on the Tern Platform
(which is actually owned by a subsidiary of our old
home's national energy company ADNEC)

Three storey model of the
 Platform

I had planned on taking them round Provost Skene's House next, but as it's currently in the middle of a construction zone (don't get me started on that), we hit some malls and the Disney Store instead.  I don't think the kids were too gutted.

A wee piece for the train ride home