Hazlehead Park is a public park in the Hazlehead area of Aberdeen, Scotland. 180 hectares in size, it was opened to the public in 1920, having formerly been the estate of Hazlehead House, home of William Rose, shipbuilder. It is heavily wooded and contains many walking tracks.
| Hazlehead Park | |
|---|---|
 Snow covering the woods of Hazlehead Park | |
 | |
| Type | Public Park |
| Location | Aberdeen, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 57°8′19″N 2°10′43″W / 57.13861°N 2.17861°W |
| Area | 180 hectares (1,800,000 m2) |
| Created | (bought by the city for the public) 1920 |
| Operated by | Aberdeen City Council |
| Status | Open all year |
There are football pitches, two golf courses, a pitch and putt course and a horse-riding school. The park has a significant collection of sculpture by a range of artists, including the memorial to those who died in the Piper Alpha disaster.[1] It also has heritage items which have been rescued from various places within the city, and it features Scotland's oldest maze, first planted in 1935.[2]
In 2022, Hazlehead Park was one of nine parks in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to be commended with a Green Flag award for sustainability and maintenance. [3]
In September 2007, Hazlehead Park was host to the Northsound Radio concert, Free 2007. It took place on Sunday 2 September 2007, and claims to be the biggest free outdoor event in Scotland.[4]
Golf
edit
The park has two 18 hole and a 9 hole golf course as well as a foot-golf area. The courses are public owned and there are no handicap or other restrictions for those who play on them.
The "Number 1 course" was designed by Alistair MacKenzie, who also designed the Augusta National.
Cafe
editThe park has its own cafe which was refurbished and reopened in 2013. It is operated by the same company as the cafe at Duthie Park.[6] The cafe was severely damaged in a fire in the evening of 11 December 2020, which was subsequently determined to have been started deliberately.[7][8] It had been expected to be reopened by the end of 2021,[9] but instead opened on 28 May 2022.[10]
Transport
edit
Hazlehead Park was the terminus of one of the Aberdeen Corporation Tramways routes. Service was withdrawn in 1958.[11] Bus number 4 replaced the tram route and operated between the park and the beach. It was withdrawn in 1986.[12][13]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Piper Alpha memorial garden in Aberdeen set for transformation". BBC News. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Hazlehead maze opens for the summer". Aberdeen City Council News. 16 June 2006. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
- ^ Saunderson, Jamie (26 July 2022). "Nine north-east parks awarded for sustainability and management". aberdeenlive. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Hazlehead Park Concert". aboutaberdeen.com. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "Hazlehead Academy puts on its running shoes to support local Parkrun". AGCC. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- ^ "The Park Cafe | Hazlehead | Duthie Park | Aberdeen". The Park Cafe. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ Main, Callum. "Aberdeen park cafe shut for 'foreseeable future' after 'devastating' fire". Evening Express. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "Popular Aberdeen cafe set alight in 'deliberate' fire". BBC News. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ^ Hendryn, Ben (28 August 2021). "Million-pound repair project to get fire-hit Hazlehead Park cafe back in action by Christmas". Evening Express. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ Hendry, Ben (28 May 2022). "'We have got through the dark days': Owner's joy as Park Cafe finally reopens 18 months after fire". Press and Journal. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "Hazlehead Park Trail & Guide" (PDF). Aberdeen City Council. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- ^ "Buses". Evening Express. 2 April 1981. p. 17. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- ^ "No road ot 'treasure' of a park, Bridge of Don woman hits at lack of Hazlehead bus service". Press and Journal. 22 June 1988. p. 3. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
The service provided by Grampian Regional Council transport to Hazlehead Park ended with bus deregulation in October, 1986
Further reading
edit- Information about William Rose is sourced from "The Gilcomston Story", an account of Gilcomston Church from its beginnings to 1945, written by Francis Lyall. The relevant section is the piece regarding Rev. Robert Forgan.[better source needed]