Marischal College

Marischal College is the second-largest granite building in the world, after the Escorial in Spain. It blends two architectural styles: the ‘perpendicular gothic’ of A. Marshall Mackenzie (1890s) and the more austere design of Archibald Simpson (1837). The building combines various granite-working techniques, using Rubislaw stone for Simpson’s original structure and Kemnay granite for the later gothic addition. Originally built for Aberdeen University, it underwent extensive restoration and has been the headquarters for Aberdeen City Council since 2011.