Macduff Marine Aquarium — Attraction in Scotland

Yep loved it. The kids and I drove two hours to get there. I was a bit reluctant as I had thought this would only be an hour visit after reading other reviews. However we managed a good 2.5 hours. The place is far better than I had imagined. Staff were polite upon arrival, didn't queue to get in. Kids were given a find and seek sheet after I paid a very reasonable fee to enter. There are many different marine animals to see in well managed and well presented pools and tanks, there's also a touch pool which my daughter was obsessed with. They have also included loads of interactive and educational displays and screens throughout so lots to read and learn. And plenty more touchy feely things for the kids. We had missed the bit where they had someone meet the guests and tell them further about the marine life they have there, but that was only because we were busy finding and seeking. We did however catch the feeding time in this large room where the main massive tank is the main focus, a well informed and entertaining member of staff put on a great show telling us about the marine life in the main tank, it was educational, humourous and included audience participation. As she spoke the divers would enter the tank which the kids were amazed by. Afterwards you could then have photos with the divers behind you which was brilliant and a great photo op. We will be back and it is well worth the trip from wherever...

We've visited here many times over the years when our children were small but this was our first visit since the covid restrictions were put in place. Tickets must be booked online and track and trace info required. You get a time slot which is shared by other visitors - social distancing should be adhered to and masks worn. Wait in your car or at a safe distance until your entry time. The tanks seemed a bit emptier than in prior visits, in particular the touch pools, jellyfish, seahorses and rays. There seemed to be more debris floating in the large auditorium tank than I've noticed before. My kids, although older now, still enjoyed the visit as did I but covid has certainly been as disruptive to the aquarium as it has everywhere else. Do not let this review come across as a bad one because of those points as it's not meant to be taken that way at all. The staff were very kind at the ticket desk and as our time slot wasn't too busy we were allowed to stay longer, which was great as we had dear old Grandad with us who walks slowly with a cane. The toilets were very clean - the water is very hot so take care of children washing their hands. There are santizer stations throughout the whole area. We didn't make use of the picnic area outside as it was a bit chilly. The playpark is great for under 5s. Disabled parking near the door. Doors are quite...

I have visited this aquarium twice now. I like that they have touching pools but on both occasions we have gone it has been so busy that you can't get near with your smaller child. This time around we seen an octopuss being fed which I found fascinating but my three year old got bored of the talk and wanted to explore instead. I'd say the talks are definitely aimed towards older children with longer attention spans. I really like the big round tank as there are lots of bits to look through and the fish in there are beautiful. My daughter was taken with this tank more than anything else. Sadly the jellyfish were being cleaned out so I didn't get to see them and there seemed to be a lot less sea horses in comparison to last time but they are beautiful to look at. It's a very small aquarium and at £16 for one adult, one toddler and one pensioner I think it's quite expensive, as your back to the beginning in around ten minutes. I've been to places equally priced with a lot more to see and do. Perhaps it would be better when my daughter is older, she was a bit put off by the tanks at eye level and is very shy so won't go in...