Macduff aquarium set to welcome back visitors
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Macduff Marine Aquarium will reopen its doors on Tuesday after months of closure due to the lockdown.
The aquarium team has been ensuring the welfare of the animals throughout the closure but is now busy preparing to welcome visitors back safely in line with government guidelines from Tuesday.
The popular visitor attraction will be operating with social distancing measures in place, visitor numbers within the building will be limited and people will need to book ahead via an online booking system.
This will allow people a specific time slot for their visit, preventing queues at the aquarium entrance.
A new one-way system will encourage visitors to keep a safe distance from others while exploring the aquarium and rigorous cleaning and hygiene measures will be in place.
Aquarium manager Claire Matthews said: “After all this time we cannot wait to open our doors again. Our team has been very active online, bringing the aquarium into people’s homes with live online events such as the dive show and fish feeding, but even the fish have been missing our visitors – they come and see anyone who approaches near their tanks.
"We did encourage folk to send in selfies and we put these up on the tank windows to make the fish feel loved, but it just wasn’t the same, so we are delighted to be able to reopen.
“The visit will feel a bit different for our guests – our feed shows and talks will be suspended for now, for example – but we hope it will be just as much fun.
"We have a new audio tour that can be streamed or downloaded in advance and our enthusiastic team will always be on hand to answer questions – from a safe distance.”
Visitors will also be able to enjoy two new developments at the aquarium supported by the Friends of Macduff Marine Aquarium.
These include a new digital introduction to the Moray Firth and a creatively themed exhibit about the deep sea, focussing on the deep Southern Trench of the Moray Firth and rounding off the aquarium’s habitat trail.
The aquarium will be open daily from Tuesday, July 28 –10am to 5pm Mondays to Fridays and 11am to 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Last admissions will be at 4pm.
Visitors can pre-book from Friday by visiting either www.macduff-aquarium.org.uk or www.livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk
