Aberdeen’s beautiful parks and green spaces blossomed with bonny blooms when judges from the prestigious Beautiful Scotland competition toured around the city as part of their deliberations.
The visit was started by judges Lorraine Turnbull and Gregor McGillivray at the community garden at the Duthie Park Ranger Station speaking with community groups and organisations from around the city followed by a tour of the David Welch Winter Gardens.
Other places the judges visited on their tour included the schoolchildren-designed flower beds on Great Southern Road, Slopefield Allotments, the James Hutton Institute, Victoria and Westburn Parks, Union Terrace Gardens, through Old Aberdeen, and finishing at Seaton Park.
Aberdeen continues to have extensive success in the national bloom competitions, having won a medal in either Britain in Bloom or Beautiful Scotland every year since 2008. Aberdeen won gold in Britain in Bloom last year and has been a regular winner since both competitions were launched.
Cllr Neil MacGregor with Beautiful Scotland judges Lorraine Turnbull and Gregor McGillivray in the Winter Gardens
Aberdeen City Council In Bloom Champion Councillor Neil MacGregor said: “We welcomed the Beautiful Scotland judges back into the city and it was fantastic to show them around.
“They met many of the communities and groups involved in ensuring our green areas look great as the city’s entry is very much a joint effort with community partners, volunteers and Friends groups.
“The community groups and City Council staff have done a wonderful job of ensuring our parks and green spaces are at their best and contributing towards our beautiful city for everyone to enjoy.”
Beautiful Scotland is organised by Keep Scotland Beautiful and is the top gardening competition for councils and other community organisations across the country. Major winners from regional competitions including Beautiful Scotland are then put forward for the UK-wide finals Britain in Bloom.
The city will be judged on its horticulture which is the amazing parks and green spaces, community involvement which is all the fantastic green partners and volunteers including Friends groups, schools, businesses, community groups and the thousands of volunteers, and environmental responsibility which is the work carried out for the Council’s climate plan, carbon reduction, and other similar projects.
The winners for the various categories will be announced at a Keep Scotland Beautiful awards event later this year.