Adventure awaits at Chapelton’s Patey Park

This month, we unveiled our brand new natural playground, Patey Park. Offering a new space for Chapelton residents and visitors to explore, the playground has been specifically designed to offer fun, creative and unstructured play for children. 

Patey Park can be found on the top of Cairnhill in the heart of our bustling town and is named after renowned local Aberdeen climber, Tom Patey, whose natural flair for outdoor adventure inspired the design. 

A series of winding paths takes young adventurers on a journey over mounds and slopes, rocks and boulders, logs, tree stumps, and balance beams. As children make their way across these natural elements, the movement and explorative play links to Tom’s impressive climbing career. 

While children will learn physical skills throughout their adventures at Patey Park, there are also spaces nestled throughout which are ideal for rest and making new friends with others in the playground. These den-like areas are a great way to encourage conversation between peers, benefitting their communication skills. 

The Duchess of Fife and Director of Elsick Development Company which leads the build of Chapelton said: “The entire ethos behind the playground is to encourage nature-based group play, which helps to encourage the development of motor, sensory and social skills. 

“The design of the playground differs from other play areas since the topography is challenging, making it fun and natural. We are planning to add more equipment at a later date, and it is hoped that we will also have a zip line. 

“There are areas that have been made into bases with flags that can be used in group games, and there are little natural areas where the youngsters can sit and have a natter.”

Celebrating what the new space will offer the Chapelton community, Tom’s son Ian, along with his wife Jennifer and their daughter Megan, unveiled the new playground to local school children and Scout groups, offering youngsters the chance to put their adventure hat on and try out the park. 

The Duchess of Fife added: “It means a lot to us that Tom’s family have been able to be here today. Tom was a brilliant and inspiring mountaineer from the local area, and he was an advocate for children embracing outdoor adventures and testing their limits through exploration and play. We hope this play area will be a fitting legacy to his feats.” 

We can’t wait to see how our residents and town visitors benefit from this unique playground! 

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