A pair of Granite City green spaces are going head to head for the chance to be crowned Britain’s best park.
Seaton Park and Duthie Park are two of the nine Scottish nominees which have been shortlisted for the Fields in Trust competition.
The organisation aims to preserve open spaces around the United Kingdom and has The Queen as its patron.
Seaton Park, which covers 67 acres, is praised for its beautiful views of the river Don and serene walled gardens, being described as “an all-round park for all ages and interests”.
On the other side of the city, the 44-acre Duthie Park is similarly celebrated for its winter gardens, boating pond, vast green areas and “outstanding” playgrounds.
It offers the biggest range of activities of all the city parks and had a £5m refurbishment in 2013 with funding provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Aberdeen City Council.
Sheila Gordon, the chair of Friends of Seaton Park, said: “It is really good to have all the hard work which goes into the Park recognised and appreciated.
“2015 has been a very good year – both for the park and the Friends group. We were pleased to be part of the team which helped Aberdeen win gold in Scotland in Bloom.. and especially proud to be awarded the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society Award. “Winning the accolade of UK’s Best Park would be the icing on the cake.”
Alan Amoore, the chair of the friends of Duthie Park, said: “I think it’s always nice to see one’s efforts recognised. It’s something that the city and the residents should be proud of.”
Aberdeen City Council communities, housing and infrastructure vice-convener, Cllr Jean Morrison added: “The award nomination is a tribute not only to our parks teams who keep them looking great with a range of facilities for all age ranges, but also to the Friends groups and volunteers who put in so much hard work and effort throughout the city.”
Voting runs until November 25 with the award winners being announced on December 2.
To vote, visit:
http://www.fieldsintrust.org/bestpark/nominations