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Obscure UK Parks

I'm just amazed that a park so far from civilisation is able to afford this. The only nearby city is Inverness (not exactly a large city) 35 mins away, Aberdeen and Dundee are over 2 hours away.
 
Thameslink Rail said:
I'm just amazed that a park so far from civilisation is able to afford this. The only nearby city is Inverness (not exactly a large city) 35 mins away, Aberdeen and Dundee are over 2 hours away.
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People travel long distances in Scotland! If my recent holiday to Scotland is anything to go by, you do a lot of driving; we drove at least a solid hour from our house whenever we wanted to go anywhere, and the nearest petrol station was a 40 minute drive away!
 
Thameslink Rail said:
I'm just amazed that a park so far from civilisation is able to afford this. The only nearby city is Inverness (not exactly a large city) 35 mins away, Aberdeen and Dundee are over 2 hours away.
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You could argue the same for Oakwood or any other theme park. Yes, it might be remote but Landmark is a popular attraction in the area that has been well established for decades with the Caingorms always popular with tourism so it's not exactly mad and look no further than Fort William and how despite being in the middle of nowhere somehow is a major toursit market in itself and plus...let's just be glad that we're actually getting a coaster in Scotland that's not a travelling fairground model but an actual permanent one with footers.
 
QTXAdsy said:
Also forgot to mention that in the planning application it says that the attraction will be manufactured off site for a period of 20 to 24 months so maybe if all goes well it's opened 3 years from now?

Actually, what is Gerstlauer's current production line atm? Certainly going to something of a comeback for the company on the UK market with Paultons next year and maybe this attraction for 2028?

And yeah, I think we should keep an eye out on Landmark as it is a pretty well established attraction within the tourist trap of the Caingorm mountains so it's not like they are starting from scratch and could be a new direction for them. But yeah, if this meant getting a few more permanent coasters in Scotland, even if it is just a bog standard Eurofighter then finally I could feel proud to call myself a Scottish coaster enthusiast after all these years you've all known me for...hopefully...I deserve this truly.
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Haven't we got 3 Gerstlauer now in the pipeline, Paultons Park, Adventure Coast Southport and this new one coming.

I could see more parks around the UK getting a Gerstlauer. Like Fantasy Island, Drayton Manor maybe the Gullivers Park could get a gerstlauer family coaster.

Can't see the Merlin Parks ever getting a Gerstlauer again
 
Hid said:
Haven't we got 3 Gerstlauer now in the pipeline, Paultons Park, Adventure Coast Southport and this new one coming.
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Adventure Coast Southport is a bit up in the air, I think. That coaster has been in the pipeline for what feels like years with little to show for it!
 
Never heard of Landmark before but Scotland deserves a decent regional park and they haven't had one since Louden Castle closed down so good luck to them. M&Ds quite frankly is an embarrassment.
 
Quantum said:
Never heard of Landmark before but Scotland deserves a decent regional park and they haven't had one since Louden Castle closed down so good luck to them. M&Ds quite frankly is an embarrassment.
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Landmark has been around since 1970, right when Highland tourism began. It is a forest adventure park that is admittedly off the radar and has been years since I was there but it is a pleasant place to visit. IIRC there was an area themed to lumber mill workings from the 1920s or something which honestly could work into a themed coaster honestly.

Have say two or three coasters here with a few more attractions and it might be a little dark horse that could be of interest in the coming years.
 
Hid said:
Haven't we got 3 Gerstlauer now in the pipeline, Paultons Park, Adventure Coast Southport and this new one coming.

I could see more parks around the UK getting a Gerstlauer. Like Fantasy Island, Drayton Manor maybe the Gullivers Park could get a gerstlauer family coaster.

Can't see the Merlin Parks ever getting a Gerstlauer again
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The Southport one is not a thing.
 
Hid said:

unknown - Adventure Coast Southport (Southport, Merseyside, England, United Kingdom)

Looking for statistics on the fastest, tallest or longest roller coasters? Find it all and much more with the interactive Roller Coaster Database.
rcdb.com

Says it here
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I wouldn't necessarily take stock in the RCDB file meaning anything. The Southport coaster was announced years ago with very little to show for it.

On the broader subject of Scottish parks, hearing M&D's mentioned does make me think about it. Or more specifically, its potential.

Of all the parks in the UK, I'd argue M&D's is perhaps the one that has the most squandered potential.

Scotland is an untapped market in terms of major theme parks, and M&D's is right next to the prime motorway leading towards Glasgow and Edinburgh, its two most populous cities. These two major population centres are pretty big as UK cities go (both are among the top 10 most populous UK cities), yet neither has a major theme park within even vaguely close distance. M&D's could not be in a better location; I went to Scotland in June, and driving back, I saw it out of the corner of my eye driving down the M74 from Glasgow. It is really close to that pretty big captive population in Glasgow and very accessible by road, so surely it should be a relatively sizeable park, no? Granted, maybe a Towers-calibre park is a bit ambitious for a country of Scotland's population, but surely a solid mid-level park of a Paultons, Drayton or Flamingo Land-type calibre should be able to thrive near to Scotland's two largest cities, which provide a not insignificant captive population and have little nearby competition?

Yet in reality, M&D's has a lineup that even Brean and Barry in my neck of the woods would turn their noses up at. It's effectively a permanent fairground in terms of ride lineup (and general atmosphere and feel, I ascertain), and it really has very little that would appeal to someone from further afield. I didn't feel inclined to visit despite being a theme park enthusiast who passed within touching distance of the park on the motorway earlier this year.

It's such a shame that the park doesn't take more advantage of its brilliant location and largely non-existent local competition, as I think it has the location to potentially do something quite special!
 
Hid said:

unknown - Adventure Coast Southport (Southport, Merseyside, England, United Kingdom)

Looking for statistics on the fastest, tallest or longest roller coasters? Find it all and much more with the interactive Roller Coaster Database.
rcdb.com

Says it here
Click to expand...
The Southport park owner is a showman of long standing.
They are often famous for being economical with the truth, recent history has not been kind with Southport rollercoasters.
What Norman says will happen, does not happen, or get erected but not used for a lengthy period of time, then pulled down again.
Every last time so far.

Been promised four, not ridden one of them yet.
I remember Thunderbolt...bit of a Knightmare.

And I have just scraped the current info on their website and blog...absolutely no mention of any new coaster whatsoever.
They are a small seaside funfair that is only open about another ten days this year, any "new" coaster will be small and second hand, and will open infrequently, like all the others.

The reddit source appears to be a post on here last summer...
 
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Matt N said:
I wouldn't necessarily take stock in the RCDB file meaning anything. The Southport coaster was announced years ago with very little to show for it.

On the broader subject of Scottish parks, hearing M&D's mentioned does make me think about it. Or more specifically, its potential.

Of all the parks in the UK, I'd argue M&D's is perhaps the one that has the most squandered potential.

Scotland is an untapped market in terms of major theme parks, and M&D's is right next to the prime motorway leading towards Glasgow and Edinburgh, its two most populous cities. These two major population centres are pretty big as UK cities go (both are among the top 10 most populous UK cities), yet neither has a major theme park within even vaguely close distance. M&D's could not be in a better location; I went to Scotland in June, and driving back, I saw it out of the corner of my eye driving down the M74 from Glasgow. It is really close to that pretty big captive population in Glasgow and very accessible by road, so surely it should be a relatively sizeable park, no? Granted, maybe a Towers-calibre park is a bit ambitious for a country of Scotland's population, but surely a solid mid-level park of a Paultons, Drayton or Flamingo Land-type calibre should be able to thrive near to Scotland's two largest cities, which provide a not insignificant captive population and have little nearby competition?

Yet in reality, M&D's has a lineup that even Brean and Barry in my neck of the woods would turn their noses up at. It's effectively a permanent fairground in terms of ride lineup (and general atmosphere and feel, I ascertain), and it really has very little that would appeal to someone from further afield. I didn't feel inclined to visit despite being a theme park enthusiast who passed within touching distance of the park on the motorway earlier this year.

It's such a shame that the park doesn't take more advantage of its brilliant location and largely non-existent local competition, as I think it has the location to potentially do something quite special!
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Aye? M&D's if ran by anyone else, even Merlin for goodness sake, would have a potential goldmine if they played their cards right but they frankly couldn't care one bit. Indeed, IIRC, there has been a split with the Taylor brothers following the Tsunami accident with only one running the park and the other I'm not sure what.

I just get the feeling they are just wheezing along and hoping to stay alive on which where it not for the traveling fair ground scene in which they make their money from, M&D's would have closed down long before...looking back when they bought themselves out of administration if you remember that farce, would have been hilarious if some other company had come in to acquire the company and send them packing.

Hopefully there is an alternate universe where that happened and we all sit laughing drinking wine at their comeuppance.
 
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