A majestic fleet of tall ships glides across the waves in a heart-stopping race to Aberdeen – their sturdy masts and white sails appearing at first as mere dots on the horizon.
The crowds at the city’s harbour give a resounding “Ahoy” as hundreds of sailors from across the globe come ashore, bringing energy and excitement second to none.
People of all ages have been waiting for the Tall Ships spectacle for months, and the busy quayside is bedecked with colourful bunting to mark the occasion…
The buzz of these scenes might now be a faint memory to those who had the chance to witness the impressive vessels dock in Aberdeen in 1997.
But after 28 years, they will set sail towards the north-east once again.
In exactly a year’s time, 50 tall ships from across the globe will arrive in the Granite City for a four-day celebration with music, dance and theatre.
It is expected that more than 400,000 visitors will flock to Aberdeen for the event, giving the city centre a “much needed boost”.
So if there has ever been a time to show the city at its best, that would be it.
There are a number of projects under way across Aberdeen as council chiefs strive to breathe new life into the high street and make it a destination.
An ambitious masterplan for the beach, a new food and drink market on the Green and a total revamp of Union Street are just a few to mention.
But which of the changes will be ready to dazzle by the time the Tall Ships arrive?
We take a look to see how Aberdeen will look like when the sailing bonanza kicks off next summer.
How will Union Street look in 12 months’ time?
The colourful extravaganza will begin with a 1,500-strong parade through the city centre on July 19.
So it makes sense to start our peek into the future with a dissection of the ongoing works on the Granite Mile.
Pipe bands, visitors and sailors will march from Albyn Place to the harbour, passing through Union Street, Union Terrace, Schoolhill and Broad Street.
And one of the first things to see will be the facelift of the area between Market Street and Bridge Street.
The project – which includes installing polished new pavements and cycle lanes – should be completed by December 2025.
So while the high street will still be boarded up when the Tall Ships arrive next summer, there should be some noticeable progress.
We can presume that by next July, the strip between Market Street and Union Bridge will be all done up, with workers digging up the final bit leading up to Bridge Street.
Metal barriers and diggers might not be the most appealing look – it would be fair to say – but it is a sign of modernisation, and a promising glimpse of things to come.
And just around the corner, visitors would be able to see Union Terrace Gardens which underwent a multi-million-pound revamp just a few years ago.
The central park has previously proven a hit with cruise ship tourists roaming about Aberdeen for a day, so perhaps sailors would also appreciate its charms.
Would the Aberdeen Market be ready to welcome thousands of city guests?
One of the most anticipated upcoming projects is the new food and drink market at the former BHS department store on Union Street.
This is mainly because the £50 million development would be the first big change to pop up on Union Street – even though there’s still another two years to go until it opens.
Operators McGinty’s Group want to make it a bustling venue with an outdoor seating area, and scores of good quality vendors such as Aberdeen’s very own Fierce Bar.
It’s a shame that all of these tens of thousands visitors won’t be able to experience that…but let’s break the timeline down a bit to see what might be done by next July.
The main construction of the market will start this summer and take 98 weeks (so far only the initial works and surveys have been carried out).
By the time the tall ships dock at the harbour, we’ll be about 52 weeks in from that point – so safe to say, at least the foundations of the structure should already be in place.
We can’t say for certain whether builders will start off with the main building on The Green or the Union Street entrance, now reduced to a grubby concrete frame.
The latter will be more visible to visitors as they cross from Broad Street – so let’s cling on to the hope that the fancy glass panels proposed for the BHS front will be up by then.
And if that is not the case, hopefully the exposed skeleton of the building – previously branded “an eyesore” – would at least be covered up as once promised by council chiefs.
There is loads of work planned for the King Street area of Union Street and Castlegate too, but that’s not happening until autumn 2026 so we’ll not go into it for now.
‘But Aberdeen is so grey…’ or is it?
While we’re on the subject of buildings, Aberdeen’s undeniable greyness tends be a common theme in visitors’ first impression of the Granite City.
“It needs a bit more colour” and “Why is it so gloomy here?” are among the comments often made by those taking a first glance at the high street.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel even for that matter.
For the last few years, artists from all over the world have been transforming Aberdeen into an urban gallery of mesmerising murals, wall after wall.
The Nuart festival – recognised as one of the best of its kind in the world – has been a huge success, with many saying it has breathed new life into the city.
And by this time next year, another dozen buildings will be turned into vibrant masterpieces – bringing another splash of creativity for visitors to enjoy.
And what about the beach?
Speaking of a splash, the £441m redesign of the city’s waterfront is another scheme that has been mooted as key to drawing more tourists to the area.
The beach is Aberdeen’s “greatest asset” after all, and the festival is all about sailing, so this project certainly deserves a spot on our list.
It includes building a new amphitheatre, a futuristic playground, an events field, a potential new Dons stadium and a boardwalk stretching out into the sea.
And work has already begun.
However, getting the whole scheme across the finish line is expected to take decades so it’s better not to get ahead of ourselves.
The first stage of the revamp focuses on the grassy expanses just off Beach Boulevard, with the mothballed public toilets at the old playground already demolished.
This is where the amphitheatre, the events field and the play area with a jaw-dropping 80ft tower and stainless steel chutes will be built.
None of this will be completed by the time of the tall ships’ arrival but the ongoing work at the site would give yet another idea of things to come.
Grab your flip-flops and head to the beach for a pint at the new food hall
On a more positive note, the new food hall at the seafront will most likely be in full swing by next summer – with bosses hoping to be fully open by Easter 2025.
The project – similar to the council’s market in the city centre – is run by hospitality guru Chung Wong, the founder of popular buffet chain Jimmy Chung’s.
And given that the development is already well under way, we can safely presume it will be set and ready to serve tall ships visitors eager to grab a pint by the sea.
So all in all, while no huge changes will be visible to the naked eye yet –Â there are certainly signs of a forward-thinking city setting sail into the future.
And we hope that all of these tens of thousands of visitors will see it this way too, and perhaps plot a return voyage in the years to come.
Read more about work to rejuvenate Aberdeen:
- New plans for ‘safe swim zone’ and Aberdeen beach boardwalk revealed
- Images reveal how traffic could be banned from stretch of Aberdeen’s George Street
- Costs revealed as Aberdeen’s big-spending beach bonanza begins
- Who is Allan Henderson? The ‘Fittie loon’ whose Aberdeen knowledge will make new market a destination for entire north-east
- All you need to know about the central Union Street closure
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