Back-to-back Green Flag Award wins for three Aberdeenshire parks
Three Aberdeenshire parks have demonstrated dedication to excellent management and environmental standards by continuing their streak of back-to-back Green Flag Award wins from Keep Scotland Beautiful.
Aden Country Park has now won the Green Flag Award for 16 consecutive years; Haddo Country Park has won Green Flags for four years in a row; and Ury Riverside Park—managed by Ury Riverside Park SCIO—won the Community Award for a third year running.
Administered in Scotland by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful, the International Green Flag Award acts as a benchmark for clean, safe and well-maintained parks, and green spaces that can demonstrate excellent management and environmental standards.
Alexander Scott, Landscape Services Manager at Aberdeenshire Council, said: “The council is very proud of its parks and to have the Green Flag Award helps us benchmark those areas for the future. All the amazing work that goes on in our parks by staff and volunteers, supported by elected members, assists in keeping our parks healthy and happy places to visit.”
The Green Flag Award is presented annually after an application and on-site assessment process to ensure a park meets the eight pillars of the award. The park should be:
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A welcoming place;
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Healthy, safe and secure;
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Well maintained and clean;
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Sustainably managed;
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Managed for biodiversity, landscape and heritage;
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Involve the community;
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Marketed effectively; and
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Managed well.
Aden Country Park is 230 acres in Mintlaw with a rich agricultural heritage dating back to the Neolithic period. It offers beautiful surroundings, and a wide range of opportunities for relaxation, recreation, and learning through its walks and trails, barbeque and picnic sites, craft and gift shop, café, Farming Museum, and other amenities.
Haddo Country Park near Tarves and alongside Haddo House is a peaceful mix of open water, mature trees. grassland and woodland. There are excellent surfaced paths for serene walks and a host of woodland birds, fungi, and wildflowers to spot.
Ury Riverside Park has been developing since 2017 from former arable farmland on the flood plain of the River Ury in the heart of Inverurie. It remains a a great place to walk, jog, volunteer to create habitats, or watch wildlife.
Jamie Ormiston, Training and Accreditation Coordinator at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “It’s fantastic to see our stalwart parks across the country recognised once again for their commitment to environmental excellence and a desire to offer visitors a safe and enjoyable place to visit.
“[...] Parks across Scotland are vital spaces for people of all ages to reconnect with nature and I’m delighted we once again have winners all over the country—including plenty of new areas—for people to enjoy during the summer months.”
A total of 88 green spaces in Scotland won a Green Flag Award for 2025/26. The award runs in 16 countries internationally, including New Zealand, Finland, and USA.
Keep Scotland Beautiful is a charity for Scotland’s environment. It hopes to inspire action to combat climate change, tackle litter and waste, restore nature and biodiversity, and improve places.
