‘The stuff of nightmares' mums cry over Scottish kids park that ‘terrifies' children – but it has ‘fab' soft play & cafe
TAKE S-CARE 'The stuff of nightmares' mums cry over Scottish kids park that 'terrifies' children – but it has 'fab' soft play & cafe
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A THEME park branded Scotland's answer to Disneyland has been delighting kids for generations.
The Den and the Glen, based in Maryculter, Aberdeenshire, is advertised as 28 acres of 'magical make-believe fun' for kids and adults.
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Shrek and his pals at The Den and the Glen in Aberdeenshire
Credit: Donald Stewart - The Sun Glasgow
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Online critics make cruel comments about the statues at the visitor attraction
Credit: Donald Stewart - The Sun Glasgow
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Some parents say their kids were 'creeped out' by the figurines
Credit: Donald Stewart - The Sun Glasgow
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The Den and the Glen has been dubbed Scotland's answer to Disneyland
Credit: Donald Stewart - The Sun Glasgow
It first opened as Storybook Glen in the 1980s and was a smash hit with youngsters. And recently the owners added a soft play, The Den.
The park is packed full of homemade statues of beloved cartoons including The Simpsons, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Teletubbies, Postman Pat and Fireman Sam.
Kids can also visit Snow White's House and see the seven dwarves, Cinderella or Little Miss Muffet as well as Shrek.
But while parents have fond nostalgic memories of The Den and the Glen, they've recently joked it's "nightmare fuel" for children nowadays.
Scots mum Emma went viral on TikTok after sharing a video about the Scottish attraction, racking up 80,000 views.
Alongside her clip, she said: "Somewhere I remember being so magical as a kid...literally nightmare material.
"I enjoyed walking round it, it's not changed a bit from when I was a child. My three-year-old, however, said it was creepy."
She added: "[But] there is a bigger soft play now and brill cafe."
The huge indoor centre boasts an all-weather play den with a climbing wall tower, a four-lane astro slide, giant ball canyon and sports arena guaranteeing hours of fun for your little one.
But the outdoor theme park has still divided opinion on social media after Emma's video, with some parents agreeing that it could give kids a scare.
'My kids never get bored,' parents gush after Scotland's best soft play revealed
One claimed: "Storybook Glen gave me nightmare fuel for years!!"
A second wrote: "Omg yes!! I took my kids a few years back and my youngest said that he was scared. I do not remember it looking so horrifying!"
"Storybook glen the stuff of nightmares", chimed in a third.
A fourth added: "It's legit a child's horror show, not how it use to be when I was a kid."
Meanwhile a fifth admitted: "Haha! I remember it being brilliant but went last year and those figures were freaky!"
Others, however, were full of praise for the visitor spot and insisted they'd love to "relive their childhood" by going along.
"This brought back so many memories cannot believe it is still going", one person said.
Someone else hailed it "The Doric Disneyland", while a third added: "Omg what a blast from the past!!!"
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A version of the Teletubbies appears in the park
Credit: Donald Stewart - The Sun Glasgow
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Some have dubbed the statues, including The Simpsons, as 'nightmare fuel'
Credit: Donald Stewart - The Sun Glasgow
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Others say they have fond memories of the theme park
Credit: Donald Stewart - The Sun Glasgow
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The park is now known as The Den and the Glen after a soft play was added
Credit: Donald Stewart - The Sun Glasgow
A fourth cried: "Is storybook glen still going. I'm 44 this year and would love to relive the childhood I loved it."
A fifth insisted: "The kid will have loved it. I remember the disappointment (the horror) when I went back years later and saw it for what it truly was - but was still special as a tot!"
And a sixth said: "Still a great day out tho, can't complain too much."
The owners of the park previously told the Scottish Sun they had no idea how much of a kicking they were taking online until a relative flagged it up to them.
They described maintaining the park as like painting the Forth Bridge and that once you reach the end you have to go back to the start all over again.
But they revealed they put a lot of care and attention into the park and taking care of the statues and were hurt by a lot of the comments.
The Den and the Glen has been approached for further comment.
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Visitors trek from across the UK to see the attractions at The Den and the Glen
Credit: Donald Stewart - The Sun Glasgow
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