How Outdoor Play Area Design Strengthened a UK Country Park’s Family Appeal

For years, Brechin Castle Centre has welcomed families to its 70-acre country park in Scotland. With a woodland fairy trail, crazy golf, go-karts, and open spaces for exploration, the venue had built a reputation as a place for everyone, where children could play outdoors and families could spend quality time together.

But the team at Brechin Castle Centre wanted to create something that would give children not just a place to climb and run, but a world to step into.

An Immersive Play Experience

• Storytelling: With Dragontale Castle, storytelling tied the play structure together. The castle is organized around themed rooms: a wizard’s study, a princess’s music parlour, a grand throne room, an armory for aspiring knights, and a banquet room where feasts are imagined.
• Physical Challenges: Rope bridges sway underfoot, accompanied by balancing trails that test coordination; in-ground trampolines and giant tube slides add a layer of fun, and climbing towers lead to elevated lookout points.
• Interactive Play: Hidden throughout the play structure are puzzle-based challenges, talking tubes that let children send messages across the castle, and quiet corners offering space for play that doesn’t require constant motion.
• A Playground for all Ages: The playground welcomes children aged two and up, with different areas offering appropriate challenges for cautious toddlers and adventurous older children.

Creating Play Areas That Drive Venue Success

Dragontale Castle opened in July 2025, demonstrating how the right play area design can enhance a venue’s overall operation. It draws families from across the region, gives them reasons to stay longer, and creates the kind of experiences that generate word-of-mouth and repeat visits.

For parks and leisure venues, play areas aren’t usually the main revenue source. Their value is in what they enable: parents relax at the cafe while children play, families explore the garden centre between visits to the castle, and make use of other park amenities. Play area design can often become the reason families come, and the anchor that encourages spending across the entire venue.