Pittencrieff Park in Dunfermline has been voted by the public as the Best Park in Scotland in Fields in Trust’s UK’s Best Park 2019.
Known locally as ‘The Glen’ the nomination celebrated the diversity of Pittencrieff Park: ‘from kid’s areas to glasshouses, peacock sanctuary and historical features… rocky waterfalls, imaginative paths, well-stocked, neatly trimmed flower beds and herb gardens.’
The UK’s Best Park is organised by green space charity Fields in Trust who, for over 90 years, have legally protected parks and green spaces ensuring they will always be available for future generations to enjoy.
A record 364 nominations were received for UK’s Best Park 2019, of which 42 were in Scotland. Those nominations were supported by park users, communities, Friends of Parks groups, and landowners and an unprecedented total of 36,832 votes were cast for parks and green spaces across the UK.
In addition, 10 other parks and green spaces in Scotland have achieved Much Loved’ status, having been placed in the top 20% of all UK’s Best Park 2019 nominations throughout the UK.
The ‘Much Loved’ status recognises the support of local people who use and love these parks and green spaces:
Aden Country Park, Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire; Barshaw Park, Paisley, Renfrewshire; Belleisle Park, Ayr, South Ayrshire; Chatelherault Country Park, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire; Figgate Park, Duddingston, Edinburgh; Glencoats Park, Westpark Drive, Paisley, Renfrewshire; Levengrove Park, Dumbarton, West Dumbartonshire; MacRosty Park, Crieff, Perth and Kinross; Pitlochry Recreation Ground, Pitlochry, Perth and Kinross; Wilton Lodge Park, Hawick, Scottish Borders.
Fields in Trust is a UK-wide charity that since 1925 has been legally protecting parks and green spaces in perpetuity.
The UK’s Best Park Award recognises the role that parks play in our communities, supporting mental and physical health and bringing people together. The charity is concerned that many parks and green spaces are under threat and are at risk of being lost to development or a cycle of decline and disappearance.
Fields in Trust recently published research which revealed that over 2.5 million people across Great Britain do not have local access to a park or green space and Scotland has more than 300,000 people whose nearest local park is more than ten minutes walk from home.
Fields in Trust Chief Executive, Helen Griffiths said: ‘Congratulations to Pittencrieff Park and all the other Much Loved parks and green spaces in Scotland. We know that parks provide benefits to the physical health, mental wellbeing and community connections for people that use them. It is encouraging to see so many people celebrate how much they love their local parks.
‘Fields in Trust is committed to protecting these vital parts of the UK’s community infrastructure for future generations to enjoy. We know that green spaces are good, do good and need to be protected for good.’
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