Haddo Country Park will finally reopen after months of being closed due to Storm Arwen damage.
Between 500,000 and one million trees were uprooted across 12 hectares on the Haddo Estate during the storm at the end of November, forcing owners to close the park to protect public safety.
More than three months on, the Aberdeenshire Council property run by volunteers announced it was reopening to the public on Saturday.
After weeks of tree felling, completion of timber harvesting within the squirrel wood and hide area has enabled us to open up much of the park and the upper lake to the rear of Haddo House.
A post on Facebook said the park will look different to regular visitors while the clean-up mission is ongoing, and some paths still remain closed.
Due to ongoing works, Cragie Woods will remain closed for several months until further tree-clearance and timber extraction can be completed.
The footpath to the east of Deer Park will also remain closed to until adjacent trees and root plates have been made safe.
The squirrel wood and hide area will be fenced off to prevent public access given the number of tree stumps and stored wood likely to be on-site
It has not yet been confirmed when Haddo House itself will reopen. Though the house itself was “largely unharmed” during Storm Arwen, workers still needed to carry out the extensive work necessary to make the site safe.
At the beginning of December last year, just after the storm, the Haddo Recovery Fund was launched with the aim of raising £50,000 to repair the damage.
This included clearing fallen trees, repairing damage and planting new saplings.
