The Castlegate is a small area of Aberdeen

Aberdeen

Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

, located centrally at the east-end of the city's main thoroughfare Union Street

Union Street, Aberdeen

Union Street is a major street and shopping thoroughfare in Aberdeen, Scotland.It was built, along with the adjoining King Street, in the beginning of the 19th Century under plans suggested by Charles Abercrombie to provide an impressive entrance way into the city, and nearly bankrupted the city...

. Generally speaking, locals would consider it to encompas the square at the end of Union Street where the Mercat Cross and the Gallowgate are located.

At the upper end of Castlegate stands The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....

 Citadel, an effective castellated mansion, on the site of the medieval Aberdeen Castle

Aberdeen Castle

Aberdeen Castle was a late Middle Ages fortification, in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was situated on Castle Hill, a site today known as the Castlegate, where a block of flats are currently located....

. Castlegate was the site of the castle gates until its destruction in 1308, hence the name of the area.

Aberdeen's Mercat Cross

Mercat cross

A mercat cross is a market cross found in Scottish cities and towns where trade and commerce was a part of economic life. It was originally a place where merchants would gather, and later became the focal point of many town events such as executions, announcements and proclamations...

 was built in 1686 by John Montgomery

John Montgomery

John Montgomery or Jack Montgomery may refer to:*John Montgomery , U.S. pioneer in Tennessee*John Montgomery , U.S. merchant, Continental Congressman for Pennsylvania...

, a native architect. This open-arched structure, 21 ft (6 m) in diameter and 18 ft (5 m) high, comprises a large hexagonal base from the centre of which rises a shaft with a Corinthian capital, on which is the royal unicorn

Unicorn

The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...

. The base is highly decorated, including medallions illustrating Scottish monarchs from James I

James I of Scotland

James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...

 to James VII.

To the east of Castle Street were the military barracks, which were demolished in 1965 and replaced with two tower blocks.

The Gallowgate which is just off the main square is called so because it is where the cities gallows used to be located. Today a small area of the old granite road pavings remains in the bus lane next to the courts. It is the exact spot where public hangings used to be conducted.

To the west, just off the main square is the Castlegate Well. No longer used, a small bronze statue has been erected over the top by William Lindsay a goldsmith who was in charge of the city's water at the time.