Writer Unblocked

Hidden Aberdeen Tours are an informative, entertaining and above all unique way to learn about Aberdeen. www.hiddenaberdeen.co.uk

This weekend I took the Lost Cinemas Tour, a cruise down a river of nostalgia and urban legend, a journey of discovery and delight. Walking through today’s streets, a fleeting vision appeared of yesterday, a performance unfinished in time, a sleeping shadow behind the Aberdeen granite.

This walking tour satisfied the soul’s quest for marvels. Over the years Aberdeen has hosted no less than 42 cinemas, their song snuffed silent long ago, with only a single historic one left: the Belmont. Moonlight that fades before dawn, art deco cinemas, the finest architecture of the day, have retreated beneath the dust of progress, their soul haunting the brickwork that survives, thirsting for a beauty so long denied.

Dr Fiona-Jane Brown narrated a mesmerizing tale of gems of the past, jewels in Aberdeen’s architectural history, their ghost raised from the ashes and given the send off they so deserve.

Find out all about Aberdeen’s fascinating cinemas on the next scheduled walk on Friday 24th June. Walking Tour dates

The remaining facade of the once famous Capitol Theatre (now a major office development).