Puzzle in a Bridge of Don park!

15 March 2018

People are being asked to puzzle about in a city park from today (14 March) as part of a project to discover walking and cycling routes.

The Westfield Park will comprise of 12 jigsaw signs that will be installed on lampposts around the Bridge of Don park. In addition, a new cycling map for the Bridge of Don taking in recently-constructed cycling paths has also been launched for the area.

The aim of the Park PUZZLE route is to encourage people to be more active and explore the park to find all 12 of the jigsaw pieces and complete the puzzle.

The puzzle route will last for one month from today until 17 April, and puzzle route maps are being handed out to the Bridge of Don schools, community centres and local shops so there will be a variety of places for people to pick up puzzle route maps. The puzzle route will also be available at https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/sites/aberdeen-cms/files/2018-03/Westfield%20Park%20Puzzle%20Route%20Map.pdf.

Launching the puzzle park route today was Aberdeen City Council transport and regeneration spokesman Councillor Ross Grant along with all of the schools in Bridge of Don; Friends of Westfield Park, Get About partners, Alex Collie Centre, Bridge Of Don Rotary Club, and Community Council.

Cllr Grant said: “We’re delighted to try this new and innovative way of encouraging people to get out and about walking or cycling.

“With the warmer Spring weather now here, I’d recommend people should try the puzzle – it’s a great way to get out and try something different, discover the walking and cycling routes, get some fresh air, and have some fun at the same time.”

The artists which have designed the puzzle route artwork are called NADFLY, based in Glasgow.

Nicola Atkinson from NADFLY said: "The puzzle image is a vivid landscape of colour inspired by the park, created as a painting, and made into unique artist signs that are just waiting to be collected as you piece the puzzle together in your mind.

“The immediate response has been fantastic and we are very proud to bring this artist intervention to a beautiful neighbourhood."

The Westfield Park project is funded by Smarter Choices, Smarter Places money which is granted by the Scottish Government and administered by Paths For All.

Residents in the Bridge of Don area are to receive a leaflet which will show the cycling routes for their area to try to encourage people to have a go at cycling, and the map shows where they can cycling within a five, 10, and 20 minute radius of their home. It is also available by clicking on Bridge of Don Cycling Guide at www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/roads-transport-and-parking/cycling-aberdeen/cycling-maps.