Visited with Alir147.
First of all this place isn't abandoned. I see UE as also visiting places we don't normally get to see, and this place is certainly one of them...
I had no idea what a mason was, I had heard all these stories about how it's men only club and they wear special rings and have secret handshakes and when I mentioned to my family I was going here, they looked at me weird and said nooo way will I be allowed to take photos, it's a secret cult and they don't want randoms going in and taking photos :crazy
The building was open for use in 1910 and is the meeting place for 11 of the lodges in Aberdeen. It was estimated to cost £8555 and was completed inclusive of all fees furninshings and outlays for £20,000. In 1994 a valuation for insurance purposes was estimated to be about £2,750,000.
The interior consists of the magnificant entance hallway with an 11 foot diamater circle made from black & white marble showing the 12 signs of the zodiac, a large chapter hall with a crypt below, a provincial hall, the main temple upstairs and a bassment with the boiler room.
This place is absalutley stunning and the old men were great showing us around. A few questions were asked and it's £280 to join and you get on level 1. I'm sure he said there were 33 levels and you pay to go up a lever. Alir can tell you more, my mind was too busy thinking how on earth do I get down to the crypt! We did find random things, like burned out candles in drawers and the place reeked of fish!
Anyways.. from the leaflet:
"The Aberdeen Masonic Temple is not only the pride of the masonic Fraternity in the city, but is considered to be among the finest purpose built building devoted entirely to Freemasonary within the Scottish Constitution."
A lot more photos on my flickr page, it's hard to believe such a stunning place exists in Aberdeen right in the city center. I had walked past it many times not knowing the gem inside =]
Hope you enjoy the pictures, I got the biggest headache sorting these ones out, I felt like I was in an optical illusion poster
The Crypt. Sadly for "insurance" it impossible to get down. I tried dangling my wee digicam down the vents but no joy.
A flame burns in the middle of this!
You can just imagine all these men in robes chanting [they probably don't do that .. but that's what I think when I think of a mason now
]
The entrance hall
The angels on the roof. Their eyes appear to be open or shut depending on what angle you look at them.
First of all this place isn't abandoned. I see UE as also visiting places we don't normally get to see, and this place is certainly one of them...
I had no idea what a mason was, I had heard all these stories about how it's men only club and they wear special rings and have secret handshakes and when I mentioned to my family I was going here, they looked at me weird and said nooo way will I be allowed to take photos, it's a secret cult and they don't want randoms going in and taking photos :crazy
The building was open for use in 1910 and is the meeting place for 11 of the lodges in Aberdeen. It was estimated to cost £8555 and was completed inclusive of all fees furninshings and outlays for £20,000. In 1994 a valuation for insurance purposes was estimated to be about £2,750,000.
The interior consists of the magnificant entance hallway with an 11 foot diamater circle made from black & white marble showing the 12 signs of the zodiac, a large chapter hall with a crypt below, a provincial hall, the main temple upstairs and a bassment with the boiler room.
This place is absalutley stunning and the old men were great showing us around. A few questions were asked and it's £280 to join and you get on level 1. I'm sure he said there were 33 levels and you pay to go up a lever. Alir can tell you more, my mind was too busy thinking how on earth do I get down to the crypt! We did find random things, like burned out candles in drawers and the place reeked of fish!
Anyways.. from the leaflet:
"The Aberdeen Masonic Temple is not only the pride of the masonic Fraternity in the city, but is considered to be among the finest purpose built building devoted entirely to Freemasonary within the Scottish Constitution."
A lot more photos on my flickr page, it's hard to believe such a stunning place exists in Aberdeen right in the city center. I had walked past it many times not knowing the gem inside =]
Hope you enjoy the pictures, I got the biggest headache sorting these ones out, I felt like I was in an optical illusion poster
The Crypt. Sadly for "insurance" it impossible to get down. I tried dangling my wee digicam down the vents but no joy.
A flame burns in the middle of this!
You can just imagine all these men in robes chanting [they probably don't do that .. but that's what I think when I think of a mason now
]
The entrance hall
The angels on the roof. Their eyes appear to be open or shut depending on what angle you look at them.
