The multimillion pound regeneration of one of Aberdeen's most popular parks is gathering pace and on schedule for completion later this year.

Aberdeen City Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) are joint funders of the project which aims to revitalise the historic 44-acre Duthie Park, encourage even more people to visit, and make it an attractive setting for new activities and events.

Council staff spent hours poring over the original 1883 plans for Duthie Park to ensure some of the long lost features of the attraction are accurately restored.

The council's Development Management Sub-committee approved five detailed schemes for the park in November 2010. These are:

•reinstatement of the former circular pond and paths; recreation of the historic terracing south of the obelisk; restoration of the road inside the southern boundary to its original width.

•restoration of the pavilion and the addition of a disabled ramp; conversion of the disused tennis courts to community gardens; creation of a new community events green.


•restoration of the linked lakes; creation of a Scottish lochan in the middle pond; restoration of the stone shelter, with reinstatement of the original castellated roof; reformation of paths and steps near the lower pond.

•restoration of boundary features, railings, missing granite pillars and gates at the main park entrances; alterations to the car park to change the layout and increase capacity to approximately 75 spaces.

•restoration of the mound area to its original profile and layout; formation of a spiral footpath and summit flagpole; restoration of the original footpaths; removal of non-original paths; creation of a biodiversity path in the woodland area at the north-west corner of the park.

Aberdeen City Council Facilities Manager Alan Findlay, who is based at Duthie Park, said it was exciting to see many original features of the park returning.

He said: "Despite later modifications, the park is still well preserved and remains an outstanding example of a late Victorian park, one of the best and most complete of its type in Scotland. Its historical significance has led to its inclusion in Historic Scotland's Inventory of Designed Landscapes and Gardens and the restoration and reconstruction of some of the lost features is being inspired not only by the original drawings but also by old written and photographic sources."

Work has recently started on the lower terrace at the south area of the park while work is continuing on the mound, which is largely back to its original shape and height. The upper dam of the linked lakes is also taking shape with stone masons preparing stone blocks for the new dam. Progress at the community garden has been swift and the timber construction of the raised garden is now complete.

(CD)