Campaigners renew efforts to renew historic Jacob's Ladder staircase in Aberdeen

A historic Aberdeen staircase once used by thousands of city mill workers could soon be restored to its former glory.

The century-old steps, known as Jacob’s Ladder, are currently closed due to safety concerns.

However, local campaigners have renewed their long-running appeal for help to repair the steps.

Jacobs Ladder was opened to the public in 1921 to create a direct route from Don Terrace to Grandholm Bridge, ensuring quick and simple access to Granholm Mill on the other side of the river.

The steep steps offer a glimpse into the city’s once-thriving textile heritage when thousands of local workers made their way to and from the woollen mills every day.

They were acquired by James and John Crombie, and Grandholm Mill employed more than 3,000 people in 1859 to produce the world-famous cloth bearing their name.

Rosalind Walker is passionate about the ladder and what it means to local people.

She said: “It was very important to the war effort. Many of the overcoats worn by British officers were Crombie, and Grandholm became the largest supplier of tweed in the UK. It was a very, very important industry at the time.”

The stairs have since fallen into disrepair and have been closed to the public for 15 years due to structural damage.

However, a local community group is renewing efforts to restore them to their former glory.

Gary Dawson from Tillydrone Community Development Trust says the closure means residents of nearby Woodside are forced to walk around Don Terrace onto Gordon Mills Road – via a steep hill with no pavements, uneven cobbles and frequent traffic.

He said: “We have widespread support from our host communities of Woodside and Tillydrone but also from further afield.

“The stairs were the main gateway for workers to attend the various mills along the River Don but now are a gateway to the river and pathways themselves, which offer an escape into beautiful natural spaces on the edge of two areas that continue to host some of the highest areas of deprivation in the country.”

The Trust hopes to raise more than £250,000 through a crowdfunding campaign to help restore and reopen the steps.

Gary added: “People are always asking us when are the stairs going to re-open.

“We have a new village behind us here and people can’t get access to Woodside unless they go up the street at the back, so they would be happy to use the stairs and people coming down would want to use the stairs to access the riverside and sports facilities in the village across the other side.”

Locals say reopening the stairs will not only provide much-needed access to the river but also preserve the community’s rich heritage.

“These stairs are so much worth fighting for, they are so important,” explained Rosalind.