Building record MAB23974 - CRUICKSHANK BOTANIC GARDENS

Botanical garden founded in 1898, and depicted on the OS 2nd edition map.

Botanical garden founded in 1898, and depicted on the OS 2nd edition map. The oldest features are the herbaceous border and sunken garden. The gardens were the former site of Invernochy or Strathdon manse (NJ90NW0181) on the west side of the Chanonry in Old Aberdeen. It was close to Cluny's Port and opposite the manse of the chaplain of St. Katherine's altar. In the late sixteenth century the property was acquired by Sir Alexander Gordon of Cluny, who later added to this by obtaining two other properties nearby. He enclosed them to form one complete property and built upon it. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, there was a Gymnasium on the site of School Road associated with the Old Grammar School; the property was later converted to the botanical gardens. This botanical garden was founded in 1898 and spans approximately eleven acres. It was built on land bequested by Ms. Anne Cruickshank to commemorate her brother Dr. Alexander Cruickshank. The Deed of Trust for the garden in 1898 states that is was developed: 'For the teaching and study of Botany as pure science, and as applied to the Arts and Industries, and for the furtherance of University interests and public good.' The garden is in a low-lying and sheltered area and one of the oldest features is the herbaceous border and sunken garden. It is partly owned by the Cruickshank Botanical Gardens Trust and the University of Aberdeen. The University of Aberdeen has completed a database of all the plants in the garden. Within the gardens is a commemorative plaque to the gardener Francis Masson (1741 -1905) who became Kew Gardens' first plant hunter.

ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL, 2016, OLD ABERDEEN TRAIL: A GUIDE TO OLD ABERDEEN (Bibliographic reference). SAB8368.

Record last edited

Oct 31 2024 1:52PM