Natural Philosophy Collection

The Scientific Tourist

There are few memorials to notable scientists in Aberdeen. Look in the history books of the city and you'll find local scientists are not given many paragraphs. Over the centuries there has been no shortage of scientists working in the city and, in addition, Aberdeen and the surroundings have been a nursery of scientists who have made their reputation elsewhere.

Science education and research that have fostered Physical Science is the theme of our collection of historical instruments. In keeping with this theme, 'The Scientific Tourist' pages cited here show where you can see buildings or commemorative features associated with local physical scientists. Click on a name to read more about them, click on a map thumbnail to see a much bigger area and click on an adjacent image to see a larger one. You are welcome to print off for private use the biographical details given in these pages. The range of interests is dictated by our collection, so anyone looking for biologists or medical scientists, for example, must look elsewhere. On reflection, one botanist is included, for special reasons. Also you have to be dead to be featured here. The living are eligible for the Nobel Prize.

1) King's College King's map
2) Marischal College Marischal map
3) Fountainhall House - Patrick Copland's residence, Blenheim Place Fountainhall map
4) St Machar's Cathedral - 1859 re-enactment of Foucault's pendulum St Machar's map
5) Robert Brown plaque - Cruickshank Botanical Gardens Robert Brown map
6) David & Isobel Gill's grave - St Machar's Churchyard Gills' grave map
7) Charles Niven's grave - Banchory-Devenick Charles Niven's grave map
8) Patrick Copland's grave - St Nicholas churchyard Copland's grave map
9) James Clerk Maxwell plaque - 129 Union Street Clerk Maxwell's plaque map
10) John Ramage - notable telescope maker, 39 Union Street John Ramage map
11) Castlehill Observatory site Castlehill Observatory map
12) Robert Davidson - Canal Road Robert Davidson map
13) John Lamont - near Braemar John Lamont map
14) James Ferguson - Rothiemay James Ferguson map
15) Robert Watson-Watt - 5 Union Street, Brechin Robert Watson-Watt map
16) Duncan Liddell monument - Dyce Duncan Liddell map
17) Multi-facetted sundials Multi-facetted sundial map: 4 places
18) Robert Hamilton memorial- St Nicholas churchyard Robert Hamilton memorial map
19) Aberdeen Mechanics' Institution building Aberdeen Mechanics' Institution building map
20) The Music Hall Music Hall map

All text and contemporary photographs by John S. Reid.