Two shipping containers donated by Greenwell Equipment are now taking pride of place on the site of Aberdeen’s new dolphin viewing visitor centre.
The two 40ft containers have been transformed into a viewing gallery at the Greyhope Bay site on the coastline at the city’s Torry Battery overlooking the entrance to Aberdeen harbour.
The glass-fronted structure will house the dolphin viewing centre, as well as a café and an education and community space, and forms part of a five-year plan to establish the Torry Battery as a vibrant Aberdeen destination.
Progress on the Greyhope Bay project was delayed significantly due to the pandemic but work on converting the containers finally started last Spring, with the containers being installed on site late last year. It is estimated that the centre will be completed and open to the public by Spring this year.
Greenwell Equipment, which specialises in containers, cabins, racking and office furniture has operated in the city for 26 years and regularly supports a number of North east charities.
Greenwell’s Richy Turnbull said: “It is just fantastic to see the containers that we donated taking pride of place overlooking the entrance to the city harbour. Now they have been transformed into one unit with a full glass front, the visitor centre is really beginning to take shape and it will be a superb place to watch the dolphins as well as other wildlife and comings and goings of the busy harbour.
“It is really exciting for us to work with other North east businesses to support Greyhope Bay, as well as our local community and heritage, as we believe this will be an excellent addition to Aberdeen and it’s very rewarding to see our containers become an important part in the city’s heritage and future tourism. Of course, like everyone else, we are really looking forward to enjoying the views with a coffee and watching the world go by from a beautiful viewpoint.”
The Greyhope Bay Development is also set to preserve the history and heritage of the old artillery battery, which has overlooked the harbour since 1860 and was used to defend the city from threats during both World Wars.
Fiona McIntyre, managing director of Greyhope, said: “The two 40ft containers donated by Greenwell Equipment have been truly transformed since they left the yard last summer and are now beautifully creating the structure that forms and frames the best view in Aberdeen City.
“Upcycling material forms part of our ambition to be a pioneer in leading the transition to the circular economy and reducing the carbon footprint in tourism, hospitality and community centres. We are very grateful for the contributions of Greenwell Equipment and the business community of Aberdeen, who have come together and supported our vision, making this unique build possible. We cannot wait to open our doors and take in the view with a coffee very soon!”
Run by brother and sister team, Mark Turnbull and Julie Wood, alongside their father, Richy, Greenwell Equipment has delivered contracts for a number of large-scale projects, including the Queensferry Crossing, the AWPR, the new Aberdeen Harbour development, the A9 upgrade and the HS2 Rail development in England.