King's College

Aberdeen, United Kingdom

King's College in Old Aberdeen is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and now an integral part of the University of Aberdeen. Its historic buildings are the centrepiece of the University of Aberdeen's Old Aberdeen campus, often known as the King's or King's College campus.

The focal point of the college, as well as its oldest building, is the late 15th century King's College Chapel. A number of other historic buildings remain, with others being subject to renovation and rebuilding in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the early 20th century, a great deal of expansion saw the university buildings increase around the historic college buildings. In the later 20th century, the university expanded dramatically in size, dominating Old Aberdeen and expanding out from the High Street with a number of modern buildings.

Construction of the King's College Chapel began in 1498 and ended with the consecration of the building in 1509. The most notable architectural feature of the Chapel is its Crown Tower, which has become an icon of the university as a whole.

Particularly notable within the chapel are the choir stalls and rood screen, which date back to around 1509. These form the most complete mediaeval church interior in Scotland. Since 1928, the antechapel has been used as the university's war memorial: five hundred and twenty-four students of the university are commemorated on its walls, having fallen in the First and Second World Wars.

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Founded: 1495
Category: Miscellaneous historic sites in United Kingdom

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4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

lilykartofel (2 years ago)
Beautiful place on campus
Wahyu Hidayat (3 years ago)
Beautiful and amazing building in Old Aberdeen
Alpha Barrie (3 years ago)
Very good experience
Paul C (3 years ago)
Nice grounds. Good photo opportunity.
Alistair Milton (4 years ago)
Lovely building which I had the privelage of studying. For a whole academic year I had maths lectures here 9am, 5 days a week. Not so easy to appreciate the beauty and history of the building in dreich winters morning. It is set in the most beautiful area of Old Aberdeen with narrow cobbled streets and manicured lawns. Summer is a great time to visit but there is something special about late autumn with the fallen leaves sparkling with frost.
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