The former Robert Gordon University (RGU) students’ union building on Schoolhill in Aberdeen is set to be auctioned at a starting price of £510,000, a dramatic drop from the £5 million it previously fetched in an earlier sale.
The building, a prominent city-centre landmark, will go under the hammer in June 2025, raising questions about Aberdeen’s commercial property market and the future of this historic site.
The auction represents a startling fall in value for the property, with the new guide price just over a tenth of its last sale price.
The Press & Journal highlighted the scale of the price drop, commenting that the building previously sold for £5 million but is to go up for auction with a starting guide price of £350,000. The auction process will be conducted via a live-streamed event, with the guide price set between £350,000 and £375,000 for the main lot, though the students’ union building itself is being marketed at the £510,000 price.
According to the auction listing, the lot includes two substantial buildings with a total floor area of nearly 89,000 square feet, offering a mixed development opportunity in the heart of Aberdeen.
The auction process will be conducted via a live-streamed event, with the guide price set between £350,000 and £375,000 for the main lot, though the students’ union building itself is being marketed at £510,000.
The sharp reduction in price reflects broader challenges in the local property market, including changing demand for large city-centre sites and the impact of economic uncertainty.
Property experts suggest that such a significant drop in price is indicative of wider trends affecting commercial real estate in Aberdeen and other UK cities. The move to online auctions and the willingness to accept lower starting prices demonstrate a pragmatic approach by sellers to attract new interest in a challenging market. The building’s potential for alternative uses – such as student accommodation, a boutique hotel, or residential conversion – may appeal to a range of investors, but the scale and listed status of the property could present redevelopment challenges.
A Storied History
The Schoolhill building is steeped in Aberdeen’s educational heritage. Originally constructed as part of Gray’s School of Art in the late 19th century, it was designed by the architects Matthews & Mackenzie and built using distinctive pink and white granite. The school was founded by John Gray to promote art education and opened in 1885, sharing a site with the Aberdeen Art Gallery and overlooking Union Terrace Gardens.
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After the art school relocated to Garthdee in the 1960s, the building was repurposed for administrative and student union use by Robert Gordon’s Institute of Technology, later RGU. The university continued to use the site until the 2010s, when most academic functions moved to the Garthdee campus.
The Student Union itself remained upon, and was the only central Aberdeen hub for students after the University of Aberdeen Union closed in 2004. However, it too closed in 2013, and since then the building has been largely vacant, with previous plans for hotel conversion failing to materialise.
The auction of the former RGU students’ union marks a new chapter for one of Aberdeen’s most recognisable historic buildings. With its central location and rich history, the Schoolhill site remains a symbol of Aberdeen’s evolving cityscape, and a test case for the future of its architectural heritage.
