Burkers & Bodysnatchers - Aberdeen's Murky Medical History - Marischal College

"Burke & Hare killed a wife and didna care/ Burke's the butcher, Hare's the thief, Knox is the boy that buys the beef!"

Grave robbing was not exclusive to Edinburgh, and assisting people "to the otherside" also may have happened right here in Aberdeen if the rumours are to be believed!

In pursuit of anatomical knowledge, most of the people who risked their reputations - and their purses - by stealing the dead from their coffins, were the medical students and some of their professors. Names like Patrick Blaikie and Andrew Moir will go down in history as "Burkers", believing their shabby thefts of newly-buried corpses were for the greater good.

This tour delves into this dark chapter in the city's history with a few urban legends included. Our very own professional "Burker", James "Satan" Sangster was reputed to have sold his dead wife's body to the medical students while pretending she had been dug up from her coffin, earning him his creepy nickname. Will Satan Sangster visit us on the night? You'll have to wait and see.

Meet at Robert the Bruce's statue outside Marischal College end on Littlejohn Street.

Approx. 2hr

Suitable for age 12 and up

Not suitable for those with mobility issues due to the route

No dogs on this tour - sorry!