Green Flag Award for Aden Country Park
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Aden Country Park has been presented with a Green Flag Award from Keep Scotland Beautiful.
The accolade from the environmental charity acknowledges quality green open spaces across the country that help to boost people's health and wellbeing.
The international award acts as a benchmark for recreational outdoor space. It celebrates well maintained parks and greenspaces and supports the opportunities that they provide to enable exercise, improve mental wellbeing and provide safe areas for play – something that has been particularly important to everyone over the last 18 months.
More than 2000 parks across the world have achieved the award this year, with Aden the sole recipient in Aberdeenshire.
Among the 2021 winners are spaces managed by local authorities, community groups and various other organisations including the NHS.
Chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful Barry Fisher said: “I would like to congratulate all of Scotland’s award-winning parks.
"Receiving this prestigious international benchmark recognises all the hard work that has gone into maintaining and managing these precious green open spaces.
“Every single one of these parks provides an invaluable service to the local communities that it serves – from creating a safe space to play, to think, to work out – and they helped to address many of the health and wellbeing challenges we faced as a country during lockdown.
“Spending time in nature can be good for people’s health and wellbeing, and merely living in a greener neighbourhood can be good for health.
"The Green Flag Award recognises the valuable, and tangible contribution that these parks make towards the nation’s well-being.”
Aden Country Park is based at Mintlaw and has 230 acres of grounds for people to enjoy.
Situated at its heart lies a semi-circular farmstead housing the award-winning Aberdeenshire Farming Museum.
Other facilities include a café and restaurant, gift shop, children’s play area, picnic and barbecue sites.
It also has walks and trials, Hareshowe Farm, Book of Deer visitor centre, SANDS, carers and sensory gardens, outdoor gym, dog agility and exercise area, horse arena, Victorian arboretum and a caravan and camping park.
It regularly plays host to a variety of different events such as the pipe band competition, Wild About Aden, vintage tractor day, Easter egg hunt and Halloween.
Other activities include an orienteering course and occasional vintage car and motorbike rallies.
Keep Scotland Beautiful works for the environment and has three aims to combat climate change; tackle litter and waste; and protect and enhance the places where people live, work and visit.
