The Duthie Park in Aberdeen is not just greenery to be walked upon, but truly is an invitation to many sights and wonders. A gift to Aberdeen City by Lady Elizabeth Duthie of Ruthrieston in 1881, her vision was to open a public park as a memorial for her brother Alexander Duthie and uncle Walter. The area of land was purchased from the Arthurseat estate, which lies on the banks of River Dee.

Surveyor and architect William McKelvie of Dundee designed Duthie Park. The silver spade and polished oak wheelbarrow which were utilised for the ceremony of cutting the first turf by the Earl of Aberdeen, Lord Lieutenant of the County and Lady Duthie, are currently on display at the Winter Gardens.  The park was officially opened by Princess Beatrice in 1883. The ceremony, which was originally supposed to have been presided over by Her Majesty Queen Victoria, could not be carried out due to the fact she was recovering from a recent accident. Her daughter undertook the duties and thus Duthie Park was officially declared open to the public.

A popular attraction of the park is the David Welch Winter Gardens, which was originally named Duthie Park Winter Gardens, but was renamed to pay respects to the Director of the Parks of Aberdeen, David Welch who passed away in 2001. Originally, the Winter Gardens were made out of redwood from St. Petersburg. This structure was reconstructed into what stands today following intense damage caused from a gale. The Winter Gardens are a true testament to the beauty of what the earth has to offer in terms of flora and foliage.

Currently the David Welch Winter Gardens consists of the greenhouses, a fern house, corridor of perfumes and a temperate house. Considered one of the largest covered gardens in Europe, the David Welch Winter Gardens is only second to that of Eden Project in the United Kingdom. Beautiful foliage and appealing shrubbery call upon visitors to be enamoured by the sheer beauty of this paradise on earth.  Housing the largest cacti collection in England, the gardens also offer other forms of greenery such as ferns and other plants.

Duthie Park also includes a series of ponds along the greenery, as well as fountains, statues and a bandstand in the centre of the lawn. Whether your desires includes boating in the ponds or a cricket match on the lawns or even a picnic, the park is an ideal place to spend quality time with your loved ones in Aberdeen. A hotel reservation can be made at the official site of Copthorne Hotel Aberdeen, which offers well-appointed and cosy accommodation coupled with modern amenities and an excellent staff.