Union Terrace Gardens has undergone a £28.3m transformation, with more than 20,000 plants being added to the Victorian park.

There are now wheelchair-friendly routes, a children’s play area, and three new pavilions for cafes, restaurants and cultural spaces. Seating, lighting and specially commissioned artworks have also been added.

The project to rejuvenate the historic gardens in Aberdeen was led by LDA Design alongside Balfour Beatty, Arup, Stallan Brand, Ryden, McLeod and Aitken. Ashlea Ltd was appointed as the soft landscaping contractor.

Yorkshire-based Johnsons Nurseries supplied in excess of £215k worth of plants for the gardens, including a custom city crest made from gold and green Ilex crenata and 130 different varieties.

Johnsons Nurseries’ marketing manager Eleanor Richardson said it was “great to work with the fantastic team at Ashlea once again,” adding that the “project has breathed new life into the gardens.”

Architect James Matthews originally opened Union Terrace Gardens in 1879. Its recent transformation won Gold at the 2024 Scottish Design Awards for Public Building and another for Lighting. The project also scooped Project of the Year as well as Public Realm Project at the ASA Design Awards 2024.

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  Credit: Chris Swan Photography

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  Credit: Chris Swan Photography

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  Credit: Chris Swan Photography