Our March Project of the Month is Craigtoun Park near St Andrews in Fife. Within its 47 acres the park has everything you need for a day out…adventure playground, trampolines, Fairy Glen, trim trail and a 30ft zip wire.

The running of the park facilities is undertaken by the Friends of Craigtoun. This enthusiastic group of volunteers was formed in 2012 in order to secure its future. The Friends were determined that the amenity of the park would not be lost and be available long-term for the people of St Andrews, the ‘Kingdom’ of Fife and the many visitors to the area. Indeed, the Friends have made such considerable investments and improvements in its management that it is now a ‘Destination Park’ with visitors from all over UK.

The Friends have overseen the complete refurbishment of the Rio Grande miniature railway, the installation of a free to use Trim Trail with zip wires and a dog-friendly outdoor café area. There are many and varied sell-out events throughout the year and visitors rate the park experience highly. The pathway leading from the car park to the Cafe and Ticket Office has been tarmacked, making the park more accessible for wheelchair users.

The Friends group has been operating the park under a management agreement and are now at the closing stages of entering into a 25-year lease agreement with Fife Council. In the meantime, the Friends group have been busy with their first crowdfunding campaign through MyParkScotland. The Castles for Craigtoun https://www.mypark.scot/projects/castles-for-craigtoun/ project aims to help the group bounce in to 2020 with the purchase of two new bouncy castles.

The campaign closes later in March with the intention for the Friends group to purchase the bouncy castles in time for the range of events planned from Easter onwards. So please support if you can.

Find out more about what is going on in the park by visiting the Friends of Craigtoun website and facebook page.