Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
The new crannog play area now open
Wooden play area a monster
Drumpellier Park’s new crannog play feature proved to be an instant hit with young visitors when it was officially opened on a sunny summer weekend.
The £210,000 wooden structure is one of the largest single play facilities in Scotland and includes a suspension bridge, cableway, enclosed and double- width accessible slides, climbing nets, hammocks, swings, sensory play items and fully accessible ramps in the 6.5- metre adventure zone.
It was inspired by a traditional iron-age loch or marsh dwelling on stilts, one of which was found in the Coatbridge park’s Lochend Loch when it was drained for maintenance eight decades ago.
The opening day included iron-age crafts and an insight into Scotland in that era from experts at the Scottish Crannog Centre, as well as food stalls and woodworking activities.
North Lanarkshire provost Jean Jones, who carried out the official opening by cutting a red ribbon at the play feature, called the crannog “a real landmark for both Drumpellier Park and North Lanarkshire as a whole”.
She said: “It gave me great pleasure to officially open this unique and exciting new play area, which will offer many children a fantastic new play experience and is accessible to all.
“When the loch here was drained for maintenance in the 1930s, the remains of an iron-age crannog were discovered beneath the waters; and it’s fantastic that today, a long-standing reminder of this heritage has been created for our current generation of children to enjoy and learn more about the history of the area.”
Topped by a landmark soaring eagle sculpture, the crannog play area is part of the development of the larger Seven Lochs wetland route, linking 16 square kilometres of parks, woodlands and nature reserves from the east end of Glasgow through to Monklands and which also includes Garnqueen and Johnston lochs, respectively in Glenboig and near Gartcosh.
It has received £ 4.5 million in support from the National Lottery, and will continue to be developed over the next four years “to improve and protect wildlife habitat and archaeology to create a new attraction of national significance”.
Construction of the crannog was also funded by North Lanarkshire Council, Culture NL, Coatbridge local area partnership and the Scottish landfill communities fund via WREN, while Historic Environment Scotland provided an events and outreach grant.
Future planned improvements form Drumpellier Park as part of the Seven Lochs development include a waterside viewing area at the visitor centre, a public square, new landscaping, birdwatching areas, wildflower meadows and an expanded events programme.