Fun new signage including some for children and a new digital screen have started to be installed in Duthie Park’s David Welch Winter Gardens as final preparations are underway for the Beautiful Scotland judges in Aberdeen next week.
The new additions are aimed at providing a better experience for visitors to the family-friendly free facility which is one of Europe’s largest indoor botanical gardens.
Aberdeen City Council In Bloom Champion Councillor Neil MacGregor said: “As Aberdeen carries out its final preparations for the Beautiful Scotland judges coming for their visit next week, it’s great to see the new signage going up in the Winter Gardens.
“The Winter Gardens are one of the most popular and highly-visited places in the city and the new signage will give visitors lots more information about the facility as well as Duthie Park.
“I look forward to showing the Beautiful Scotland judges around the Winter Gardens as well as all the other fantastic places around Aberdeen.”
The manufacture of signage has been paid by Friends of Duthie Park and installation by Aberdeen City Council.
Friends of Duthie Park chairman Dave Macdermid said: “This is great news!
“As most people would agree, Duthie Park really is a highlight for both residents and visitors alike and having clear, modern signage can only enhance the experience of visiting the venue.
“We work extremely close with Aberdeen City Council on a number of projects and we are very excited to be part of such a worthwhile initiative.”
The Winter Gardens has many rare and exotic plants on show from all around the world, has a popular café, is known as a venue for weddings and other events, and has Spike the World-Famous Talking Cactus, McPudock the mechanical frog, Nessie the Loch Ness Monster, carnivorous plants, as well as koi fish and terrapins.
The Winter Gardens and Duthie Park are two of the places which the Beautiful Scotland judges will see next week, with Aberdeen continuing to have extensive success in the competition, 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.
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.