Maryculter, near Aberdeen · Soft Play & Indoor Play
The Den and The Glen
A mixed indoor and outdoor family attraction at Maryculter. The Den has soft play, while The Glen has outdoor fairy-tale and nursery-rhyme characters in landscaped grounds.
- Ages
- All ages welcome
- Admission
- Den or Glen; adults pay for the Glen
- Weather
- Indoor play or outdoor grounds
- Indoor time
- 90 minutes when busy
Our family take
Choose the Glen for the storybook characters, fairytale houses and outdoor play, with the Den as an extra if there is room indoors. For a wet-day soft-play visit, choose the Den itself. The combined outing is less useful if your family needs a route without slopes or steps.
- Indoor space is not guaranteed. A Glen ticket includes the Den only when it is not up to capacity.
- Slopes and steps. Buggies can be used, but there are steps in some parts of the Glen and the usual entrance route is steep.
The practical details
Plan your visit
- Admission and prices
- The Den: under 6 months free, 6–11 months £2, ages 1–14 £6.45; adults free. The Glen: the same child rates, with adults £6.45. Glen admission includes the Den only when indoor capacity allows. Prices can change.Current prices and entry conditions
- Opening and walk-ins
- Usually 9.30am–5.30pm, seven days a week, with last entry at 4pm. No advance booking is needed for an ordinary visit. Check festive hours and any changes before travelling.Opening times and festive exceptions
- Address and arrival
- South Deeside Road, Maryculter, Aberdeen, AB12 5FT. For access by car to the flat part of the Glen, ask at the entrance first.
- Buggies and access
- Buggies can be used, but parts of the Glen have steps and the usual route down is steep. If you need to avoid that slope, ask at the entrance for the rear-gate key to drive down and park on the flat. A £5 key deposit is listed. Ask which parts you can reach without steps before planning a wheelchair visit.Glen access information
- Toilets and changing
- There are toilets in both the Den and the Glen, plus baby-changing facilities.
- Food and picnics
- Picnics are welcome in the Glen, with tables and benches at the entrance and down in the grounds. In the Den, only food and drink bought from the restaurant may be consumed, except baby food.
- Dogs
- Dogs are not allowed in the Den or the Glen, except guide dogs.
Café or restaurantToiletsBaby changingPacked lunch spacePlay areaOutdoor Character Grounds
4 November 2026
Check prices and opening times (official)A little more detail
Make it work for your family
Two different ways to visit
The Glen, formerly Storybook Glen, has nursery-rhyme and fairytale characters, houses, chutes, swings and roundabouts in outdoor grounds. The Cinderella-style carriage in the photo gives a sense of the storybook displays.
Inside, the Den has a soft-play frame, four-lane slide, climbing-wall tower and a sports area for football and basketball. All ages are welcome at the venue, but that does not mean every play feature will suit every child.
Socks, busy days and wet weather
Bring socks for children and any adults entering soft play. Indoor play is limited to 90 minutes when busy; outdoor picnics are allowed, but indoor food must be bought on site apart from baby food.
The 90-minute busy-period limit covers both play and eating in the Den. There is no indoor time limit when it is quieter. If you plan to eat there, allow for lunch within the busy-period limit.
Choose the outdoor Glen for weather your family is happy to spend outside in. Its indoor inclusion is subject to capacity, so do not rely on it as guaranteed shelter or a second play session. For a short indoor outing, check the Den admission instead.
If slopes or steps are difficult
The rear-gate vehicle access avoids the normal steep route into the Glen and lets you park on its flat area. Ask at the entrance before driving down. Some parts still have steps, so discuss the places you want to reach if you need a step-free visit.
If you need a wheelchair route, an adapted toilet or a quieter visit, phone 01224 732941 before travelling to discuss what will work for your family.
Keep another stop optional
There is already an indoor and an outdoor option here, so there is no need to add a second paid attraction just to fill the day. If you are heading into Aberdeen afterwards, Duthie Park is an alternative outdoor stop with the David Welch Winter Gardens; allow for the separate drive.
Map data credit
Map location data: Overture Maps Foundation, with source components from Overture and Meta. The corrected map point uses Food Standards Agency and local-authority data under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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