Macduff Marine Aquarium prepares for major redevelopment
The much-loved residents of Macduff Marine Aquarium are getting ready for big changes as the popular visitor attraction prepares to undergo a major redevelopment, temporarily closing to the public from September 2.
A host of sealife – from starfish to wolffish and skates to seabass – will be remaining in their tanks within the aquarium as the award-winning facility is extended and upgraded around them, thanks largely to UK Government funding.
Macduff Marine Aquarium – run by Live Life Aberdeenshire – has been operated by Aberdeenshire Council for more than 25 years.
It regularly welcomes more than 50,000 visitors per year, contributing significantly to the local area’s economy and complimenting other existing tourist attractions along the popular North East 250 route.
It highlights native marine life and the central tank design and local exhibits create a one-of-a-kind experience within the UK. Building on its success with investment in the attraction has long been part of the regeneration strategy for Macduff and the UK Government funding announced in 2023 has presented a unique opportunity for the aquarium, Macduff and the wider area.
The new aquarium will boast a striking design inspired by the coastal location and Macduff’s rich shipbuilding heritage and the improvements will help fully realise the aquarium’s potential and significantly enhance the visitor experience all-year round.
The distinctive round aquarium building will be expanded to accommodate increased display and activity space and will feature a café-restaurant on the second floor boasting magnificent views over the Moray Firth and inside to the central kelp tank. Internally the central tank, general layout and displays will remain, however exhibits will be upgraded and will feature improved features and interpretation to enhance the visitor experience.
Education and conservation are at the heart of the aquarium’s operations and the expansion will provide space for a lobster hatchery and a dedicated learning room to allow hands on activities and events for learners of all ages. The lobster hatchery will see lobster larvae being grown for release into the wild to boost wild populations, be a focus of interest and support the lobster fishery in years to come.
A new external landscaped activity area to the east side of the building will also feature areas for children’s play and picnic benches, while pathways will be created to connect into the existing coastal path networks and to the wider area. There will also be improved biodiversity planting and wider public realm enhancement works including new paving and surfacing within the car park and external areas.
Aquarium manager Claire Matthews explains: “After 18 months of planning for this project, we are very excited that it is getting underway. Throughout the refurbishment activity our team will be working hard to ensure the fish are kept safe and well as the work goes on around them. There will be temporary tanks set up away from the main areas of work and to hold those animals whose tanks will be upgraded, but the cold-water life support systems will be kept running throughout the project to keep the animals happy in their homes.
“We will also be keeping up our learning programming with pop-ups and schools outreach activities so we can continue to celebrate our wonderful local marine life, even while folks are temporarily unable to visit the aquarium building. But there are still a few days to go yet and we hope people come along to get their fish fix before the aquarium closes from September 2.”
Depute Leader and chair of the council’s Communities Committee, Cllr Anne Stirling, added: “It’s tremendous to see work starting at Macduff Marine Aquarium and I would like to thank all our officers and external partners who have worked tirelessly over the past year to bring this project together. Of course, a project of this scale and complexity will take time and I would ask that visitors and supporters of the aquarium bear with us as this major redevelopment takes place. Once completed, we will have a much-improved facility for you all to enjoy for many years to come – a place where we can continue to showcase the rich sealife of the Moray Firth to an even greater degree and where our team can provide enhanced education for visitors of all ages.”
