Belmont Street is a narrow, lively lane lined with classic granite buildings and busy market stalls, stretching ahead of you under colourful canopies.
Now, imagine yourself wandering here in the late 1700s. Instead of traders selling flowers and home-baked bread, you’d spot Aberdeen’s wealthiest folks, strolling outside grand townhouses-maybe even bumping into Thomas Menzies of Pitfodels himself, who moved here for a bit of suburban peace in 1788 after growing tired of life in the old town. Back then, Belmont Street was the new “it” address-big homes with gardens running right down to the River Denburn valley. A handful of those original houses are still with us today, so you’re walking beside the ghosts of those first fancy dwellers and their grand ambitions.
But Belmont Street quickly became more than just posh homes; it was a battleground for church rivalries. The Triple Kirks, just up the way, was built to give the powerful “Auld Kirk” some competition-three free churches brought together under one spectacular tower that looked down at the older rivals next door. And believe it or not, church splits here were so dramatic they’d make any soap opera blush. In 1779, the anti-Burgher United Presbyterians kicked things off with their massive 800-seat church, soon followed by the Relief Presbyterians who wanted even more seats for their sermons. There was such excitement for new chapels, some folks probably spent more time planning church fundraisers than praying!
In modern times, Belmont Street has another claim to fame-the Belmont Cinema, where Aberdonians caught films from the late 1800s all the way until 2022. So, take a moment to soak it all up: the church spires, the old granite walls, the lively market, and the sense that every corner here has its own tale to tell, whether it’s of faith, fortune, or the next blockbuster screening.
