Aden Country Park in Mintlaw marked the completion of its five-year Aden Restoration & Redevelopment Project with a civic ceremony.

Provost of Aberdeenshire Cllr Judy Whyte commemorated the project's achievements by officially unveiling the new Bill Cruickshank Visitor Information Centre on Tuesday, July 9.

The centre has been designed to not only be the first port of call for park visitors, but also somewhere to find out about the park facilities, a place to pick up leaflets and a place to learn about Aden’s heritage and its links to farming in the North East of Scotland.

It was named after former local councillor Bill Cruickshank who served as a convenor for Banff & Buchan District Council and who was a prominent farmer in the Buchan area.

Bill spent many enjoyable holidays in Canada, and it was during a visit to a Canadian community-run park, that helped shape the vision for Aden. Taking what he had learned from his travels, in 1974 Bill persuaded the then council to purchase the dilapidated Aden Estate and allocate 230 acres towards developing Aden as a Country Park.

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He always gave his full support to the park developments and regularly helped with the renovations including the consolidation of the Aden House Mansion and the restoration of the farm steadings. He was passionate about preserving and celebrating the farming heritage and was also heavily involved in Buchan Development Partnership and the Book of Deer Project, serving as chair for both.

The new Visitor Information Centre has been developed as part of the £2.13 million project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The funding has also supported the restoration and redevelopment of Aden’s historic buildings, landscape, and facilities, including improvements to park interpretation, accessibility, signage, and a programme to enhance biodiversity.

The Aden Restoration & Redevelopment Project also attracted funding support from other match funding bodies including the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund, Historic Environment Scotland, private and community organisations and both cash and non-cash contributions from Aberdeenshire Council.

Provost of Aberdeenshire Cllr Judy Whyte said: "I am delighted to see the unveiling of the new Visitor Information Centre as it marks the completion of the Aden Restoration & Redevelopment Project. Over the last five years the project has not only helped to enhance, promote, and conserve Aden’s rich heritage, but has also created a sustainable, high-quality visitor destination for visitors and the local community alike to enjoy."