Archaeolink Prehistory Park, an interactive museum in Aberdeenshire dedicated to Scotland's prehistoric period, closed permanently in 2011 after less than 15 years of operation. The site has since been left abandoned and has yet to be redeveloped.
A state-of-the-art attraction ahead of its time
The museum opened to the public in 1997, following the formation of The Archaeolink Trust in the early 1990s. The trust aimed to create an educational tourist attraction exploring Scotland's ancient archaeological heritage, and chose the Aberdeenshire countryside for its historical significance, as the area is home to various ancient forts.
Work began on the park in 1994, with architects Cullinan Studio designing a state-of-the-art and energy-efficient visitor centre. The building featured a grass roof that blended seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, making it look like another hill at first glance.
When it opened, there was nothing else like Archaeolink in Scotland, and in many ways the attraction was ahead of its time. Visitors were guided through the long history of humankind in Scotland, from the early days of hunter-gatherers to the development of farming and weapons.
Highlights and early struggles
Highlights of the experience included the Mesolithic camp, the Iron Age farm, and a Roman marching camp. Tourists could also get involved with interactive battle re-enactments, as well as pre-historic cooking sessions, and could even take part in an annual 'wicker man' burning.
Unfortunately, problems started to show not long after the park opened. Building the museum in a remote and beautiful part of the country was a good idea on paper, but it meant that many Scots were unable or simply uninterested in making the long journey.
The attraction had a relatively strong start, but fell far short of its target of 100,000 visitors per year. Numbers only fell over the following years, and by 2011 Aberdeenshire Council had pulled funding for the project. In its final year, Archaeolink received only around 10,500 visitors.
Abandonment and vandalism
The interactive museum was abandoned and left to the elements for more than 10 years, with Aberdeenshire Council later selling the land to a developer. The state-of-the-art visitor centre itself went up for sale again in 2024, but the site has yet to be redeveloped.
In 2024, urban explorer Natasha McCallum shared photographs of Archaeolink after visiting the abandoned museum. McCallum runs the Exploring with Natasha photography blog, where she posts images of attractions around Scotland that have been abandoned or forgotten.
Speaking to the Daily Record, McCallum stated: "I just think it’s a shame that such an educational place for families and schools which showed Scotland's history had been shut down. It was said to be a fantastic place for educational purposes with lots of informative exhibits for the kids. It was said to be a great fun day out for everyone involved. To see it in the state it is now is heartbreaking. The vandals have been in and have destroyed it. Windows have been smashed, with graffiti everywhere and the fact it’s been trashed completely."
