Open air pool ready for its 84th season Events laid on to celebrate start of new season of outdoor swimming

The Friends of Stonehaven Open Air Pool have volunteered around 5,000 hours to get the popular attraction ready for its opening this weekend.

The heated Olympic-sized pool is ready for its 84th season with several upgrades in place thanks to the hard work of volunteers.

It will be opened at 11am today by Kincardineshire Lord Lieutenant Carol Kinghorn and there will be a performance by Newtonhill Pipe Band followed by a disco.

Friends of the Pool have refurbished the ladies’ changing rooms and the men’s toilets for the new season.

They have also cleaned, repainted and readied the chute for remedial work.

Time was also spent converting the coin-return lockers to accept both new and old pound coins and raising funds to meet the costs of tools and materials.

One pool cover was repaired and another was replaced.

Chairman of the Friends, Pete Hill, said: “It came as a very nasty shock to

The opening of the season at Stonehaven open air pool is always an eventto remember and means a great deal to the local community and Friends. JOHN HARDING ABERDEENSHIRE COUNCIL

discover, just a couple of months ago, that the damage done by high winds towards the end of last season had rendered one of our thermal pool covers virtually useless and we have had to replace this at very short notice.

“Fortunately, the other cover can be repaired, but it is not expected to last longer than this summer season.

“We are busy fundraising for the two covers and the replacements will have a specification which we believe will be up to whatever the Stonehaven summer weather may bring.”

The pool covers are vital to ensure the water temperature can be maintained when the pool is closed and also they also help to keep debris out of the water.

Aberdeenshire Council’s head of lifelong learning and leisure, John Harding, added: “The opening of the season at Stonehaven open air pool is always an event to remember and means a great deal to the local community and Friends.

“I would particularly like to thank the Friends and council employees for their hard work every year – without such great partnership working it wouldn’t be the success that it is.

“I hope the sun smiles on Stonehaven over the summer and that everyone who uses the pool remembers their unique experience at what is a star attraction for the area.”

During the early season, which runs until June 30, the pool is open from 1pm to 7.30pm on weekdays and from 10am to 6pm at weekends. There are extended opening hours during the peak season in July and August. rmclaren@thecourier.co.uk

Picture: Andy Thompson. The open air pool opens for its new season today.