Lost Aberdeen

The building with the rounded windows is Rubislaw Toll House in Queen's Road. The attached house is not part of the original Toll House but was added later. The rounded windows are facing different directions in order to spot victims who could be charged their due tollage. The building was built before the road was realigned, so it does not quite face on to the existing road at right angles.

It continued to function until 1863, when tolls for the maintenance of the county roads were abolished. The building then became a shop, and later part of a restaurant.

I never knew it as a shop, but I used it several times as a restaurant. It was called the Olive Tree and I thought it was quite good. They later added a glass annex in front of the house called the Black Olive. The Black Olive was cheaper, but shared the same kitchen, so I suspect the cheaper extension killed off the original restaurant. Why pay more? Especially as to get to the original restaurant one had to walk through the Black Olive.

A couple of years after the Black Olive opened, but before the oil related recession of the last few years, the whole place shut down. As a result of a  self inflicted injury I think, the Black Olive probably had lower margins. It is now an office housing a drilling consultant, rather boring by comparison. (Pun intended, but also true)! The glass annex of recent construction was removed, but an extension was built at the back of the house.