Craigtoun Park been regarded as the “jewel in the crown” of Fife country parks for decades and more so over the last two years after volunteers injected a new lease of life to give it a bright future.
Now, the visitor attraction near St Andrews has taken a very 21st century step forward by receiving a worldwide internet-users’ award which recognises it as a destination of excellence.
The Friends of Craigtoun Limited have welcomed news it has received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award.
The accolade, which honours hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor.
Recent reviews include: “Impressive park, friendly helpful staff, open grassy areas for picnics and playing, attractions well kept and reasonable priced although entry is free if you don’t use attractions so that’s a bargain I bought a season ticket so will be going back again and again.”
Another visitor posted: “Lovely place to visit with the children near St Andrews. Great play are, trampolines,m ini golf, a small ride-on train, boating lake, fantastic gardens and lovely caf. Lots of open green space and interesting areas to explore. You can easily spend most of the day here if the weather is nice.”
Chairman of the board of directors of Friends of Craigtoun Limited, Kyffin Roberts, said: “Winning the TripAdvisor certificate of excellence is a true source of pride for the entire team at the park and we would like to thank all our customers for there is no greater seal of approval than being recognised by one’s customers.
“With the TripAdvisor certificate of excellence based on customer reviews, the accolade is a remarkable vote of confidence to our business and our continued commitment to excellence.”
The president of TripAdvisor for Business, Marc Channon, said: “The certificate of excellence award gives top-performing establishments around the world the recognition they deserve, based on feedback from those who matter most their customers.
“We want to applaud exceptional hospitality businesses for offering a great customer experience.”
Fife Council agreed in March to lease Craigtoun Park to the Friends of Craigtoun Park for an initial five-year period, with an option to enter into a 25-year agreement.
The Friends, a volunteer group now registered as a charity, has been operating the park under a management agreement since April last year and wishes to acquire the park on a longer-term basis, enabling it to develop the visitor attractions.
The council’s executive committee approved the granting of a lease from April.
The Friends are being asked to pay a peppercorn rent of £300 per annum.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Friends will have the option to end the five-year lease at any time, giving three months’ notice in order to replace it with one for 25 years.
The council will be responsible for maintenance and repairs at the park under the five-year lease, but such costs will be the responsibility of the Friends under the 25-year lease.
The much-anticipated grand reopening of Craigtoun Park took place last July, ahead of a long, hot summer.
Organisers hope this is just the beginning of a bright future for the park.