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13 August 2026

Aberdeenshire parks among the best in Scotland

Three parks in Aberdeenshire continue to be officially recognised among the best in the country to visit by extended their winning streak in Keep Scotland Beautiful’s annual Green Flag Awards. 

The Green Flag Award aims to... 

  • Ensure that these spaces are appropriately managed and meet the needs of the communities that they serve. 

  • Establish standards of good management, and to promote and share best practice amongst the green space sector. 

  • Ensure that everybody has access to quality green and other open spaces, irrespective of where they live. 

  • Recognise and reward the hard work of managers, staff and volunteers. 

Aden Country Park in Mintlaw has now won the Green Flag Award for 17 years in a row. It offers beautiful surroundings with a rich agricultural heritage dating back to the Neolithic period. Its walks and trails, barbeque and picnic sites, craft and gift shop, café, Farming Museum, and other amenities provide plenty of opportunities for relaxation, learning, and recreation across its 230 acres. 

Haddo Country Park near Tarves picks up its fifth consecutive Green Flag Award this year, offering 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. 

Ewan Wallace, Environment & Sustainability Head of Service at Aberdeenshire Council, said: "Winning these Green Flag Awards year after year is a testament to the passion and hard work of council staff and dedicated volunteers. These are beautiful places that generations of families have enjoyed and inspire visitors from miles around. Our ongoing commitment and management of Aden and Haddo will help to encourage more people outdoors to remain healthy and active for years to come.” 

Ury Riverside Park—managed by Ury Riverside Park SCIO—also in Aberdeenshire has now won the Community Award for a fourth year running. The 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 great place to walk, jog, volunteer to create habitats, or watch wildlife. 

Ruairidh MacLeod, Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Awards Officer, said: “These awards recognise the tremendous work being done by councils, community groups, and other organisations to ensure their communities have access to safe and well managed outdoor spaces. I’d encourage everyone to use the summer months for a trip to one of our award winners. We live in a beautiful country and these spaces epitomise that.” 

The Green Flag Award is presented annually after an application and on-site assessment to ensure a park meets the eight pillars of the award:  

  • A welcoming place;  

  • Healthy, safe, and secure;  

  • Well maintained and clean;  

  • Sustainably managed;  

  • Managed for biodiversity, landscape and heritage;  

  • Involve the community;  

  • Marketed effectively; and  

  • Managed well. 

A total of 92 green spaces in Scotland won a Green Flag Award for 2026.  

Keep Scotland Beautiful is an environmental charity that aims to inspire action to combat climate change, tackle litter and waste, restore nature and biodiversity, and improve places.