Storybook Glen – the ‘internet famous’ Aberdeenshire attraction | CPT PPP Coverage

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Without a doubt, one of Aberdeenshire’s most interesting and bizarre visitor attractions is The Den and the Glen in Maryculter, better known to many as ‘Storybook Glen.’

The attraction, which is rated 3.5 on review aggregator TripAdvisor, first opened in 1984 as a place to not only showcase 28 acres of north-east countryside but also offer visitors the chance to wander into the fantastical via its fairytale fibreglass sculptures.

There are over 100 favourite nursery rhyme and fairytale characters to see, but few could have imagined the cultural impact these sculptures would go on to have.

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In fact, the theme park would continue to remain in relative obscurity for some 30 years, being best known amongst locals as a fun day out for children.

It wasn’t in around 2014 that some of the less than attractive sculpture designs started making noise on internet forums.

A post on a forum titled /r/funny on the online site Reddit listed Storybook Glen as a ‘creepy meth themed fun park.’ The post itself didn’t mention the Park’s north-east roots, instead saying it was located ‘somewhere in the UK.’

The Aberdeenshire location was eventually revealed by a user in a separate forum /r/creepy. This, in turn, inspired other internet users to seek out the Park, leading to one of its statues becoming a well-known meme at the tail end of 2015.

That year, Euan Davidson wrote an article for VICE titled “I Tried to Relive My Youth And All I Got Was Sad.” The article details a trip to the Den and the Glen, during which he critiqued the Park and featured images of its beloved denizens – including the Glen’s effigy of kid TV icon Barney the Dinosaur.

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Now, the depiction of Barney is a little unorthodox to say the least. Its outstretched arms and vacant facial expression give it an awkward aura – and this lead it to be co-opted by a meme titled ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth.’

KnowYourMeme states: “Cha Cha Real Smooth refers to an image macro series featuring an image of a Barney the Dinosaur statue with a phrase from the song “Cha-Cha Slide” as a caption.”

An Instagram post using the meme with the caption “Me coming in a measure early and derailing the whole song” received more than 10,000 likes in less than one month.

Last year, members of YouTube mega-group the Sidemen caused a stir when they visited the Park. Harry Lewis, Ethan Payne and Tobi Brown all made the trip to Maryculter, with Payne sharing an image of the Park’s version of Shrek on to his 4.2 million followers on Instagram.

Currently, the Den and the Glen remains a popular visitor attraction. A post on its website states: “The Den is a new purpose-built facility which encourages endless active play for boys and girls to have fun, make friends and eat healthy!

“The Den restaurant has a large menu and facilities to cater for large birthday parties and seasonal events! The Glen (formerly Storybook Glen) is world of make-believe and fun for children and adults of all ages, set amidst 28 acres of scenic beauty in Maryculter, Aberdeen. Come along and see your favourite nursery rhyme and fairytale characters.”