Aberdeen beachfront: First look at giant Scottish playpark as £50m beachfront project unveiled

The steel tower structure would boast city and sea views and is one of four areas revealed in new images released by Aberdeen City Council.

The design has been inspired by the city’s rope making heritage, and developed through design workshops with local children and young people.

The works, which are the largest redevelopment of the beachfront area for 35 years, are due to be completed next year, the council said.

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The park is part of the council’s commitment towards its City Centre and Beachfront Masterplan.

Council co-leader and councillor Ian Yuill said the project “will be a place where future generations can make memories of the beachfront whilst it also strengthens tourism offer”.

The structures have four distinct areas - the Village, the Woodlands, the Sky Tower and the Glens - aimed at different age groups.

The first part of the play area is the Village, which is aimed at two to five-year-olds with several different shop fronts.

There is a ship to captain and a bridge to cross the street, while doors lead to secret passages and other areas.

Meanwhile, the Woodlands offers the opportunity to explore trees, with hidden routes through the forest and rope tunnels and winding stairs allowing the chance to reach the treetops.

A fireman’s pole lets children slide back down to ground level.

The “iconic” Sky Tower takes users on a “journey into space”, starting from the woodland floor and moving up through the different levels before arriving at the viewing platform, which is enclosed by a steel mesh. The viewing platform would give clear views from 23m above the ground and there are steel tube slides for the daring on several levels.

The final section is the Glens, inspired by the Aberdeenshire wildlife and countryside. The area is aimed at older children.

The Glens includes a rope matrix with wooden footholds to climb up through an opening in the floor into the mountains and through hilly formations to a giant net to climb up, leading to a mesh tunnel with rope ladders and a slide.

The steel-clad structures are being manufactured in Scotland and will be assembled on site later this year. The foundations have already been laid as part of the ongoing works.

A competition to give local primary school pupils a chance to give the structure its official name will be announced in the coming weeks.

While the play area will be at the heart of the beach park, there will be 40 other pieces of play equipment for all ages to enjoy. This includes the new skate landscape area, which has several “exciting” features and is being laid out by skate experts Betongpark.

In addition, the Beach Park will have a gateway building and plaza, a hub building and plaza, a shelter canopy, sand and water area, dunes area and a sports zone. All the facilities in the play park will be accessible and free to use.

The adjoining Events Field has an amphitheatre area designed to host festivals, concerts and other gatherings.

The plans were designed by the same team who created the “world’s largest play structure”, the Lilidorei Play Village at Alnwick Garden in Northumberland. It mimics the intertwined shapes of rope and includes a rope matrix that allows youngsters to scale up into part of the structures.

Council co-leader and councillor Christian Allard said: “This project will create a major draw for residents and visitors alike. A competition to give local primary school pupils a chance to give the structure its official name will be announced in the coming weeks.”