Maritime & Marine Museums

An area famous for its fishing and sea-life history

Aberdeenshire is famed for its fishing and sea-life, with a number of aquariums, wildlife centres and Maritime Museums.

Macduff Marine Aquarium

The Macduff Marine Aquarium is located in the traditional fishing town of Macduff (not a half hour’s drive from Cortes House itself), the only place in the UK where deep-water wooden fishing boats are still built and a spot famous for its shellfish. The Aquarium hosts marine a life taken straight from the Moray Firth, reputed as Scotland’s largest bay in a number of displays, ranging from Coastal Habitats all the way to the Deep Reef and Sea Floor.

Home to the only British deep central exhibit, displaying a living kelp reef; the Aquarium is unique in both its vast assortment of attractions and its dedication to promoting awareness of the Moray Firth. It even hosts community events, including cleaning up the various beaches around Aberdeenshire and the main site has an interactive section, including a quiz of the Moray Firth’s marine life – test yourself before and after visiting to see just how informative the trip can be.

Aberdeen Maritime Museum

With a unique collection that boasts an impressive number of displays, from shipbuilding and the history of the port to the more modern North Sea oil and gas industry, there’s a little something for everyone at Aberdeen’s Maritime Museum.

Set up within Provost Ross’ House in Shiprow (the perfect place), and opened in 1984, the museum boasts an impressive number of awards – including the Scottish Museum of the Year award and it maintains a Four Star Museum status to this day.

Perfectly suitable for history lovers of all ages, the Museum includes modern and interactive exhibits; touch screen consoles and visual computer databases alongside the more classic displays.

Open all week between the hours of 10 to 5, the Maritime Museum is perfect for a day out and it includes both a gift shop and The Maritime Café, which is described as ‘an attraction in itself’ and promises excellent, nautically themed food.

Of course, if you’re feeling put out by all the nautical mayhem, you could just go for a tea or a home baked cake instead!

A maritime trip through history

If you’re considering visiting the Maritime Museum, be sure to check out the Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums group that it belongs to, including the Aberdeen Art Gallery and The Tolbooth Museum. You could spend a week trawling through the entire history of Aberdeen!