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Bede House Tunnel

Old Aberdeen, Don Street, Aberdeenshire.

Myth? Tunnel reputed to run from Bede House to St Machar Cathedral.

"there were historic rumours that the [Bede] house once had a secret passageway linked to St Machar Cathedral... In his book about Aberdeen 'Walkin' the Mat', author Andrew Cluer claimed the Beadle of St Machar used to buy booze for the minister from the nearby grocer's shop. The rumoured 500-metre passage enabled the carry-out to be smuggled into the church. Anecdotal evidence suggested the passageway was still there before the 1960s, along with stashes of empty bottles. While a former resident said the passageway was discovered during renovations in the 1960s, but there is no record of this being the case." [Press & Journal]

Alternative Names: None recorded.

Notes: Given coordinates are for Bede House, built in 1676.

Digging a 500m long tunnel seems an overly-energetic effort for the sole purpose of secretly supplying alcohol to the local church, located c.250m to the north of Bede House.

"The Bedesmen were Almsmen who received support from the Local Community. In Old Aberdeen, the main pillar of the Community was the Church of St Machar also now known as St Machar's Cathedral, and the Town Council. Latterly, the Principal of the University and the Minister of St Machar's Cathedral have until recently acted as a committee to ensure that the Bedesmen were well looked after" [Doric Columns]

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