On your left, look for the dark-stone, open-arched pavilion with a chunky hexagonal base and a tall carved column rising up to a small ROYAL UNICORN on top.
This is Aberdeen’s Mercat Cross, built in 1686 by local architect John Montgomery... basically the city’s old-fashioned “official announcements go here” spot, only with better stonework. Step closer and you’ll see how showy it gets: a broad, six-sided platform about 21 feet across, wrapped in carvings and round medallions of Scottish monarchs, from James I all the way to James VII. Above that, a central shaft climbs to a Corinthian capital... and then, the unicorn. Because if you’re going to represent royal power, you may as well pick the most dramatic horse available.
But this place has bite, too. In 1715, during the Jacobite rising, James Stuart, the “Old Pretender,” was proclaimed king right here... words that could get you cheered or chased, depending who was listening. And locals still swear that on a full moon, a ghostly unicorn circles the Castlegate... sure, why not.
Ready for St Peter's Church, Aberdeen? Just walk northeast for 1 minute.
