Once, it was a landmark building on the seafront at Aberdeen, but today the Beach Bathing station is long-vanished, lasting only in the memory of Granite City folk of a certain age.
But from the moment it opened in 1898 to the day it closed in 1972, it was a mecca for generations of swimmers – young and old – flocking to this turreted, red-brick structure, with its distinctive soaring chimney which dominated the skyline.
Regular horse-drawn carriages, then trams and later buses ferried people to the Beach Baths, which stood on the seafront, close to the Beach Ballroom. They diminished in popularity after the Bon Accord “Uptown” Baths opened in 1940 and by 1972 the decaying building was declared unsound and closed. The wrecker’s ball swept it away in 1973. Join us for a look back at the place where generations of Aberdonians learned to swim.
This undated photo from the early 1900s shows the Beach Bathing Station in all its glory, a red-brick focal point beside the golden sands, dotted with the popular bathing huts of the day.
The Aberdeen Beach buses on the Promenade in 1937. In the background the Beach Baths were a destination for locals and holidaymakers alike.
The Beach Baths were still a major pull in 1956, as can be seen from this busy photo.
By 1972, the Beach Baths were crumbling and had been declared unsound. This photo shows the last dip for bathers on the afternoon of Sunday July 16. The baths were closed for the last time later that day.
Looking forlorn, the exterior of Beach Baths in 1972. A few months later, the pool was filled in and the building demolished, ending an era.