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Tidings of HLF good cheer for two Scottish parks

Tidings of HLF good cheer for two Scottish parks

The news means that major redevelopment works at both of these popular parks can now press ahead. 

Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “Our parks are a wonderful legacy from our ancestors which are enjoyed by all ages. Whether taking a winter walk, sledging with the children or attending a community event, they provide an invaluable space for recreation, sport and leisure. HLF funding will help transform these treasured places, protecting their heritage while improving the facilities for the hundreds of thousands of people that use and enjoy them.” 

Haddo Park, Ellon

Haddo Country Park, 19 miles North of Aberdeen, is an outstanding 18th century historic designed landscape. It is also home to the A-listed Haddo House which was the creation of William Adam. The designed landscape was created by George Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen and former British Prime Minister. It encompasses woodland, grassland and open water and is enjoyed by over 200,000 visitors each year.  Plans include conservation of the magnificent Scots Mile avenue, re-instating lost historic footpaths, high-quality interpretation and a new adventure playground. Historic features such as the Kelly Burn bridge, Urn, Waterloo Monument and Well will be restored.

Formartine Area Committee chairman Cllr John Loveday said: "The news of this significant funding comes at a great time for the park project, with five elements of the scheme having received planning approval within the last week. This is the culmination by lot of hard work  add effort by all of the partners involved in the project – Aberdeenshire Council, Haddo Estate National Trust for Scotland, Friends of Haddo Country Park and the wider local community –  and we will continue to work together to achieve our vision for the park as a premier visitor destination."

Committee vice-chair Cllr Alisan Norrie said: "Haddo is a well-known attraction in Aberdeenshire, and this funding will help refurbish, protect and expand on what we can offer to visitors now and into the future. I am sure the confirmation of this funding will add to the already high level of enthusiasm to get the works underway.”

Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline

Pittencrieff Park was purchased in 1902 by the town's most famous son, Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-born American industrialist and philanthropist, and gifted to the people of Dunfermline in a ceremony the following year. This 76 acre park is home to a statue of Carnegie, Pittencrieff House Museum, the Glen pavilion and formal gardens. It also has the remains of Malcolm Canmore's Tower, thought to date back to the 11th century when it was the royal residence of Malcolm and his queen, Margaret. The park is probably best known, however, for its resident peacocks. Returning this much-loved green space to its former glory, restoring many historic structures and bridges, refurbishing the glass houses to create educations spaces and improving safety with lighting and better paths is at the heart of the plans.

Councillor Brian Goodall, Chair of Fife Council's Housing & Communities Committee, said: "This is fantastic news for one of Fife's best loved parks!  I'm delighted that we’ve been able to secure this level of support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and we’re now looking forward to being able to deliver our long term development plan for this unique facility in partnership with the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust. Pittencrieff Park, or the Glen as it's known locally, is an important and extremely popular facility which is of huge historical and cultural significance to Dunfermline & West Fife. 

A project of this scale and complexity takes a lot of time and effort to put together, so this major award from the Heritage Lottery Fund reflects the contributions made by our own staff, the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust and other local stakeholders, including the Friends of Pittencrieff Park.

This funding will complement the significant investment already earmarked for the park by the Council and Carnegie Dunfermline Trust and will allow important restoration and development work to proceed that will help re-establish Pittencrieff Park as one of Scotland's premier family parks."

Through HLF’s Parks for People programme, parks across Scotland are being turned around, encouraging more people through the gates, forging new links with communities, reducing crime and often kick-starting further local regeneration.

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