The Aberdeen Maritime Museum occupies Provost Ross's House, the oldest residential building in Aberdeen (dating from 1593), alongside a modern extension on Shiprow overlooking the harbour. The combined site covers the full sweep of Aberdeen's maritime history: medieval fishing, clipper ships, granite exports, and the North Sea oil industry that transformed the city from the 1970s onward.
The oil-industry exhibits are unexpectedly compelling, even for visitors with no interest in petroleum engineering. The model of an offshore platform explains how these structures work and what life on them is like, and the material on the oil boom and its social effects on Aberdeen is thoughtful. There is a serious section on the Piper Alpha disaster. Free admission; open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am–5pm (closed Sundays and Mondays).