Exploring Aberdeen's Abandoned Beach Leisure Centre

[@danielrees613]

"How much fun would have been had in here, before the water was drained" Given this was perhaps my favourite place to visit as a kid, the answer is: a lot Thanks for posting this btw - the nostalgia was strong on this one

[@LifeofMorag]

I grew up in Aberdeen and remember attending many flume birthday parties. You got a wrist band that a sticking out tag that had numbers correlating to how many slide runs you had paid for and each time you went down a flume they would cut a number off. It felt like a waterpark day out to us. Many many happy memories.

[@milnky]

And if you got really lucky the lifeguard would just wave you through for a free go.

[@globetr0ttinggals]

This makes me so sad. Loved this place and it was still being used regularly until it closed. Thanks for coming up to see this, hit me right in the nostalgia feels.

[@ktmjayster5364]

How can I get in

[@nicolamackay5549]

I am so glad someone thought of capturing this before its demolished. Thank you for this. I last went here in the summer of 2022 with cousins from Liverpool who loved this place even though the water flumes were no longer in operation. Spent a lot of time here as a child and took my daughter a couple of times.

[@hanbbhee]

I live in Aberdeenshire. During Covid lockdowns, the council closed roads leading and surrounding the leisure centre - in addition to the insane cuts to the budget, it's almost as if they wanted this closure. There is nothing affordable for kids here anymore. Thank you for documenting this.

[@woodoopoom]

They lied to us about covid and flooded our streets with economic migrants and hotels full of muslim men pretending to be refugees while we were locked in our homes and not allowed to work.

[@woodoopoom]

They lied to us about covid and flooded our streets with economic migrants and hotels full of muslim men pretending to be refugees. Causing a shortage of minimum wage jobs and huge waiting times for council flats/houses.

[@CaorthannachDrekavac]

I'm from Aberdeenshire too and couldn't agree more.

[@AidanMacgregor-Personal]

And they wonder why they get into trouble, boredom largely with not much in the way of entertainment

[@VStrom2019]

@@CaorthannachDrekavacme too, the council couldn’t run a bath here 😡

[@iainrollo3525]

I worked there when it first 2 years it opened, as a supervisor I had the full run of the Games hall, climbing wall, gym, flume building, pool, and the Beach Ballroom. Great memory`s and legendry fun time after the public left, with the lifeguards we had the run of the pool and the flumes, one lifeguard broke her nose while diving off lifguard high chair at the deep end as the wave machine was on and miss time the wave! Plus we went down the flumes in a train of rings all pilling into the pool at the bottom, only a couple of concussions happened ;-)

[@tonybarnett1978]

Many thanks for this before The BLC is flattened. I used to work there for 10 plus years and i will admit that it is sad to see it in this state. Many, many fond memories of here. Staff and customers alike. Very nostalgic and has bought a tear to my eye... again. Thanks. Ace veiwing.

[@RoscoMangini]

I have very fond childhood memories of this place! The one small flume on its own up the stairs was the free flume and the other 3 u had to get a ticket wristband for! Also the small pool beside the jacuzzi was the kids pool. It also had a wave machine in the main pool which was mental as a kid 😂 there was also like a lazy river they could turn on that took you all around the outside of the main pool but in behind the platform part was the Rapids! Man it's absolutely horrible it doesn't exist anymore! 😫 thanks for documenting it lads!

[@sevdijekrasniqi6365]

Wo ist das genau

[@Gregorysmellmore]

makes me so nostalgic😔😔

[@andyjasso3050]

same

[@stnfre]

The one you walked down was a dingy ride. Those 3 flumes you had to pay for tickets whilst the smaller one by the pool was free. At least when I was a kid. Lot of nostalgia watching that

[@amac2342]

The centre was closed as the council said it was too expensive to modernise. This is not the only pool or public service Aberdeen City Council are closing or have closed. The council has money for bus gates, LEZs (both poorly thought out in a city that simply doesn't have the space for such things) and meaningless vanity projects....and now they are threatening to increase our council tax by 20%! It's a ridiculously sad state of affairs. More positively, another excellent video lads.

[@callumstanton8350]

Aberdeen has been circling the drain hard since 2015, I don't think trying to modernise the city centre is the big problem here. Not denying it's been badly thought out but Union Street has always been such an unpleasant place to be with the noise and fumes, and King's Street is one of the most polluted streets in the country.

[@amac2342]

@callumstanton8350 it's never been the most pleasing to the eye but Union Street used to be constantly busy with a great range of shops. King Street has always been a bit dingy in my lifetime, though, but at least it was alive. Pre 2015 wasn't great, but the decline was slow. Since then it's just dropped off a cliff.

[@callumstanton8350]

@@amac2342 I blame it on two things: the only money in the city is old people and oil workers, who generally want to just drive everywhere despite the city being unable to cope with so much traffic. The second is that there are no draws for young people anymore, with the uni struggling and all the money leaving the city. The council are flailing trying to do something but making a city work takes time and money. It's crazy how it's the only major scottish city that's de-gentrifying when Glasgow and Dundee are doing so well

[@TheThirdFall]

Honestly, I think the big mistake the council made was in not pedestrianising the city centre much earlier. They could've and probably should've pedestrianised Broad Street, Schoolhill and Union Street between Market Street and Union Terrace too, especially once the Denburn dual carriageway opened. Everyone blames Union Square, but I'd pin 99% of the blame on the way that the city was still choked with traffic until Covid.

[@callumstanton8350]

@@TheThirdFall Absolutely agree. Old folks and people with mobility issues do need access to parking and public transport but getting cars out of the centre would improve everything massively. When Union Street was pedestrianised during covid it was transformed into a nice place to be

[@rae17]

I have fond memories of going to the pool almost every weekend as a kid, it’s sad, but also fascinating to see it like this. such a shame it had to close as it’s still in basically perfection condition (aside from the flume slides)

[@TheThirdFall]

There's not really that much wrong with it, the roof and flumes needed to be replaced, but other than that, the only real issue was that the water heating plant needed to be replaced as the existing one was life expired and way too expensive to run. But it was obvious even before Covid that they were running the place down on purpose :(

[@elizabethmacrae7867]

What a disgrace closing a facility like that 😢

[@np1584]

@@TheThirdFall the excuse clowncillors gave was the equipment/machine room needed an overhaul on all the tech - filters, wave machine etc and would cost a lot. Surely it's not as much as a demo crew??

[@_amyallan]

me too! its so weird seeing it vacant :(

[@_amyallan]

@@np1584when has aberdeen city council ever done anything on time, they are a disgrace and ruin this city. The city centres practically been run into the ground.

[@k20aa]

That place looks mint . Cant believe its been closed 😔😔😔😔😔

[@TheBrucifer]

Everything underneath and in the walls after decades of being wet has rotted away. Would need completely ripped out and started again but wouldn’t be up to modern standards nor modern expectations seeing the cost of that to reopen, so a demolish and rebuild is the cheapest option.

[@wendywoo_]

Both my kids loved that wave machine, so much fun and fond memories. Was so sad when it closed down😥thank you for this video🥰

[@frasermathers2287]

Thanks lads for another eye opening video. Having moved to Aberdeenshire in 1992, I have witnessed a slow but continuous decline in anything the local authorities provide which of course the blame on funding cuts. (Not just here but throughout Scotland). The sooner we can have the ability to prosecute MPs, MSPs and Councillors for mismanagement of assets and funds, then we can maybe make some changes, but I won't hold my breath waiting!. Thanks for the excellent explore.

[@D11AVW]

Takes me back to my youth swimming in here with my parents. It will certainly be sad to see it get demolished. Thanks for one last glimpse

[@Mouse2113]

It still looks in good condition. I haven't been in over 20 years. My dad used to take me and my sister a lot as kids in the early 90s. Loved the flumes and wave machine, also the jacuzzi. I remember getting into trouble from an attendant for spitting down the top of the stairs where the flumes were haha. Would always get a hot dog from the cafe after. Great facility that still could be modernised

[@auroramacdonald3970]

Went swimming here so many times growing up and did some school sport lessons in the hall. So sad seeing it empty and away to be demolished now

[@boblloyd75]

Nice, no graffiti or other damage. Thanks for the series.

[@Ifgouth]

So heartbreaking to see it like this 💔💔,was such a great pool and also we had a monthly roller disco in the hall but sadly Aberdeen city council have ruined so much here.There is also other activities that have been stopped there and other places around Aberdeen 😢

[@motownjunkman]

I used to go to the gym there and play football in the sports hall. So strange seeing it empty and quite sad as well. It was always so busy when I went in.

[@brianswift2706]

I used to play football there too, probably circa 2005. I had completely forgotten that until watching this

[@Ched-t4e]

Memories unlocked thanks for the video lads

[@theoddjobcentre6686]

Looks good enough to reopen

[@scotthutcheon6183]

Lived in Aberdeen since birth, it's very much a dead city now - no life, no personality. A very nostalgic video for me, like Bon-Accord baths.

[@RMedich]

Union street is a disgrace! Very sad.

[@McPhan86]

Yep, it's got nothing to offer anymore sadly.

[@JG-of7mg]

It's a work in progress. Once union street and that new market are finished it'll look less shit

[@leemurray3540]

I'm working at Rosemount square. That place is mental

[@gimble447]

@@leemurray3540An art-deco masterpiece 👍

[@colinfoster7149]

Used to travel in early on a Saturday morning with a mate or two to use the gym. Afterwards a draught Sprite and a cheese and coleslaw sandwich. I was 18 or so, so that’s 32 years ago now. Haven’t been in it since then, so that’s was quite the trip down memory lane there 👍🏻

[@sevdijekrasniqi6365]

Wo ist das in Deutschland oder?

[@Gazzabhoy]

​@@sevdijekrasniqi6365Nein es ist Aberdeen, Schottland.

[@catrionaanderson1785]

This made me so sad seeing it like this. We had our sons first swim there and used it super regular, my son still loves the water and he's nearly 4 now 😢

[@andy3869]

Spent so many happy hours in that pool with my daughter from a baby to a preteen and it breaks my heart to see it like this. Looking at the pool and the flumes memories flood back from almost every corner. Climbing up those stairs carrying a rubber raft and a child to the big flume. The water jet and bubble lane at the far side we named “the farty bubbles”. Her first time down the flume alone. Diving under the water with her clinging to my back “daddy turtle”. So many memories.

[@optical_ideas]

Really nice place and everything in almost good condition 🤔 Thanks for sharing all these great locations

[@equinoxmcb]

Another comment from a local, so many memories of this place! It's genuinely sad to see it closed. Surprised how good it looks still but I guess that's down to it only being closed for such a little amount of time.

[@FrontSideBus]

I'd love to have a look at the pump and filtration plant room in a place like this! The air handling plant to control the humidity would be quite something too!

[@PinePlaysVr]

its honestly crazy seeing a place i went to as a kid just fully dead like this. this video brought back allot of nostalgia

[@stephaniemcquillan1930]

Very interesting, although very sad to see another place like this closed. Pre-pandemic was a great time to be alive and we didn’t appreciate what we had until we no longer have it. The world is getting very apocalyptic

[@TheMarioManiac]

Only went a handful of times as a child but it’s honestly a shame to see another one of Aberdeen’s facilities left to rot.

[@sendbooze5672]

I used to love going down the floom ride that was one of my best childhood memories

[@no1welshboyo]

Thanks for filming! What a waste this looks a lot better than any pool in South Wales Valleys, even in this pre demolished state!

[@christoph0123]

When I’m king of Scotland, you’re welcome to explore all the abandoned council offices. The staff will all be binned.

[@GPOTOM]

Council budgets have been hammered in Scotland in recent years and the effects of this are now visible in many towns, with facilities closing down and usually not being replaced.

[@Knockseekfind]

Really great video Thankyou for sharing this you guys are amazing stay safe take care always 🙏

[@Porkie_Pie]

It's so weird that I used to go here only like 4/5 years ago with my brothers and my dad. Such a weird feeling that this place is closed now. It was so fun. It's a shame that Aberdeen is just slowly declining. Loved that place.

[@scott.middler]

Brings back memories seeing that walkthrough, from going there as a kid with my mum to taking my oldest daughter before COVID. Still looks in decent condition too with the exception of the flume tower but it had always been ridiculously humid!

[@sevdijekrasniqi6365]

Wo ist das

[@platinumproductions5622]

@@sevdijekrasniqi6365aberdeen

[@MrAidanfleming]

Loved this place as a kid!! Used to get shouted at on the flumes, we would put our feet on the sides to stop half way down till your mate caught up haha ❤

[@sevdijekrasniqi6365]

Wo ist das in deuschland?

[@MrAidanfleming]

@ Scotland Aberdeen

[@RMedich]

My mother in law got the biggest row from the life guards for taking a photo of my then baby from the viewing bit above 😂😂😂 the whole pool stopped and looked 🫣

[@davidreid9024]

​@RMedich No photos, no photos 🤣🤣 I wonder when they got stricked with that? The 80's and 90's were so care free

[@davidreid9024]

​@RMedich No photos, no photos 🤣🤣 I wonder when they got stricked with that? The 80's and 90's were so care free

[@lewis72]

That's insane that it was only open for 34 years. What a waste of money and resources.

[@amac203]

that's a very long time for a facility like this to be up and running. 34 years of use is not a waste whatsoever

[@tns5044]

Thanks, great explore!

[@benlambley7171]

Excellent explore again guys bought back some memories for me as went to Scotland on holiday twice and remembered going here when I started watching looked familiar what a shame it’s gone sad times were in 😢

[@dreammarie3374]

The stripped changing rooms and lockers were moved to Dyce Academy’s pool when it was getting refurbished (prior to its reopening). A few other items like the tables, chairs, snack machines, etc got spread across other Aberdeen leisure venues. Just glad some of its resources were put to other use - thanks to Sport Aberdeen!

[@Filmmaker809]

Thank you listair, Alex, and Theo for filming this guys, its my home town. Very well made film guys. Very sad to see.

[@bigbigpedro100]

Some good memories of that place both as a young lad and a dad taking .y own kids there.

[@AaronWatson396]

Many memories as a child swimming here. Most who live in aberdeen are sad to see this place be demolished. Paving way for the development at the beach front. Very cool to see it for 1 last time. Good memories.

[@stuartwright4670]

Absolutely love your videos guys. Keep up the amazing work 👍👍🥰

[@370DatsunZed]

Brilliant!

[@Villanellexvibess]

Thoroughly enjoyed these weekly videos Alistair my favs are definitely this and the hartlepool theatre Really gonna miss these weekly videos😭😭😭 i hope they return soon Thank you so much for providing this entertaining content Thankful for all the hard work you put into every one Love you Alistair 🥰😍🤩

[@HollyBirnie-qo7zo]

So many memories here as a kid!! So sad it’s closed down

[@johnweir8936]

Thanks for posting this, very nostalgic as I had great fun there as a kid and have taken my daughter there many times . Council didn’t want to pay for running and maintenance costs. Sad to see it closed and looks set to be demolished next year.

[@MrRyanMcCall]

This is literally my childhood So many awesome memories going there with my mum (who has since passed away), my dad, brother, friends etc This was the pool where I learned how to swim in 😢

[@rednewt]

I last went here in 1999 when I was 9 years old, I'd gone very regularly prior to this. Great seeing this video, I somehow remember it all, it didn't change a bit! I remember going down the tube flume (the one next to the one you walked down) on my dads knee when I was 7. At the bottom when we reached the water, me and my dad were holding onto the ring so tight that when it flipped upside down we were upside down with it, still in a seated position. I was left slightly traumatised and never went on it again 😅

[@billmorrison4746]

I drive by it all the time, great to see the inside of it, great explore guys!

[@WanderFreeWithBarb]

Place looks in such good condition, shocking its just being knocked down

[@pipoo1]

The decision was made over just £700,000 a year budget cuts. This is what happens when the SNP are running Aberdeen City Council, after years of infrastructure investment into the city by the previous council this lot are determined to run it into the ground again.

[@TheRasteri]

man I was gonna hit up this place! So glad someone with decent camera skills did it and not me :) Utter travesty it's being demolished. There are other abandoned council entertainment buildings around Aberdeen if you know where to look...

[@kennethfletcher1157]

I think it’s disgraceful that Aberdeen have got rid of all the swimming poles and now people have got nowhere to socialise and get together with people. What a lovely swimming pool. This is this would’ve been lovely just to renovate and reopen. I think it’s wrong that Aberdeen have got rid of two swimming pools it’s disgraceful.

[@sentrypeer]

Loved going here as a kid. 😊

[@Sean-vh8pm]

Went many times and taught my young kids to swim there. Aberdeen city council ran the everything into the ground. Great memories of a better time.

[@chrisfulthorpe7006]

Nice one! Reminds me of the magnet you did that i grew up with and went to all the time as a child until i was 20 ish i was very saddened to see that abandoned :(

[@charliebramley]

it all looked rly clean

[@frenchiestfry9045]

I grew up going here! When the council closed this pool, they also closed a third of the city’s libraries (as well as threatening to close Bucksburn pool, which reopened after protests). It was an insane loss to culture and leisure. Aberdeen and Aberdeen City Council are just abysmal all around - all they care about is money and driving the city into the ground.

[@jamis1232]

The nostalgia is crazy

[@dereksmith4721]

Took my kids here regularly in the 90's. They loved it. More recently, pre-covid, this was the gym I was using several times a week. Saddened when it was closed

[@caseyspriggs6934]

I loved coming here as a kid…well even as an adult honestly. So cool to see this, especially because I now work for Sport Aberdeen, sad to see it closed.

[@scatcat1994]

This place was absolutely incredible growing up. The flumes were the best thing ever as a kid. There was also an Ice skating rink where I learned to skate and so many folk used to go down there on a Friday night. It really is a damn shame what's happening not only in Aberdeen but across a lot of the country, stuffs just getting shitter as time goes on.

[@TheBrucifer]

The ice rink is still open.

[@JackMeadows6322]

@@TheBrucifer Well at least that's something, spent so much time in that rink. Flumes, Rink, Ramboland, the holy trinity of entertainment. Lived around Aberdeen for 25 years of my life, still consider it my home but it sounds like it's gone to absolute shit....

[@Dandydonforlife]

Absolutely loved this place when I was younger such a same that it shut

[@davidyule8555]

Many a great time in there

[@imonlyorion]

I miss this being open, such a key part of my childhood

[@MrCampoLads]

I used to go here as a kid all the time, pretty sad that it closed. Brought back so many memories and that 👍

[@erobertson1417]

Went there as a kid. Worked as a a lifeguard when a student in the mid 2000s. Tortured by whoever decided to play Back to Bedlam on repeat for entire shifts. There was a climbing wall and an ice rink next door.

[@mell3109]

This documents the incompetence of the council. The building needs some work however to demolish it just shows the lack proper maintenance and management. Instead of being proactive they missed crucial planned maintenance. Muppets.

[@dianeclark6237]

This I so nostalgic I miss this place, Aberdeen demolish everything good

[@Jowen0wen]

I almost scrolled right past this video but I actually went back and clicked on it because of the channel name "Urbandoned" is very clever (at least I think so)

[@Itz_Macyy]

Bro I used to love going there and I go to that ice rink next to it😂

[@leanneyoung4302]

I'm from Aberdeen and it's so sad to see it like this.😢 Spent many times there as a kid up until probably a year before closure. 😢😢

[@royfontaine5526]

0:28 just shows you, categorically, how much better and happier, life used to be.

[@minixtvbox]

14 Tory years UK is Afrikaans soum

[@RedBairnMedia]

Jings... Thanks for documenting this lads. She looks like she's in reasonable condition as well (if we ignore the tower to the flumes)

[@derekmatson114]

It looks in really good condition, The council claimed that replacing the heating system was too expensive and made it not viable. seems a shame as the sports hall looks in great condition

[@WillieWagglestick]

Really interesting video and such a shame the centre is closing. You were brave walking down those flumes - creepy!

[@harveynotini9226]

Many fond memories there

[@monkeys767]

Great video guys. Brings back great memories from the early 90s. Shame that is become no more. The flume you went down I’m sure was a yellow ring you’d slide down that on one

[@platinumproductions5622]

‘The Tube’

[@CubeAtlantic]

That resort looks dead-on relaxin' & wonderful idek that permentaly closed, i kind of want to look & discover.

[@Alan-i4m1j]

There were 4 slides in total , the cafe did serve some food items. Remember going there with some of my kids and ex wife. Loved it Shane it wasn’t looked after well enough to keep it open

[@monkeys767]

I’m sure there was a climbing wall in there the other side of the sports hall on the balcony. Remember my mum playing badminton and sitting up in that balcony. She also worked there in the early 2000s

[@iainrollo3525]

Yeah there was definitely a climbing wall between games hall and pool could be viewed from above.

[@BOBO102]

Aberdeen City Council over saturated the sports market with new opening of Aberdeen Sports Village in 2009, with the aquatics centre opening in 2014. The old Beach Leisure Centre is way more fun, definitely for kids and families, but had no chance of surviving against the Councils now golden child at the Sports Village.

[@electroshed]

Alarm detail: If the alarm is already going off on internal sounders, it's usually in an alarm condition from a previous trigger, external sounders are usually limited by regulation to whale/bell for a maximum duration around 20 minutes I think, therefore the alarm panel is likely already signalling for external sounders but is already at its 20 minute limit, so won't sound again until the alarm is reset, and re-triggered. ps can't you lads explore the spooky plant rooms for these places? :D Looked like it was burning gas from the external drone footage, is the heating still on?

[@Mouse2113]

It's coming from the ice rink next to it, built at same time and still open but will meet the same end in the next few years

[@ianjukseyjukes4358]

Really miss this place for our Roller Discos !!!!

[@DaveC-xe5ns]

I remember the water guns that used to be on the island next to the rapids. They disappeared a number of years before the pool closed. The pool needed serious renovation especially the area of the stairs that went up to the three flumes.

[@CaitlinMair]

yeah check that part of the video 🤢🤢 it had been a long while since i had been up those stairs, hadn’t they closed the flumes long before the real closing down? but goodness me i didnt think they’d be that bad

[@GCK5]

spent so many hours in the pool and on the flumes + the ice skating 20-25 years ago, those were the days

[@ScottShand-uc5gh]

I worked there for 11 years in total. Then became maintenence for the city in 2010 til 2017.its a shame it closed.

[@srobo2]

Such a shame they closed BLC - swam there as a kid, worked there p/t 1994-98 (vaguely remember you Scott) and took my own family swimming there. So many families are missing out on happy times due to budget cuts.😢

[@Davehearne43]

Nice work 👏 👌

[@monkeymagic4555]

Utter madness that this has been closed down.....The council quite clearly needs overthrown........What would be an idea is ditching the flumes (simplifying cost/safety risk etc) and where the flumes are at the back put a PROPER swimming pool in and use the existing one (lets face it pretty much what it was anyway) as a HUGE spa area kinda thing

[@rossbarney4321]

It's so sad seeing it like this. I used to go every Sunday with my friends in the 90s. I was always scared to go on the narrow flume as there was always a rumour that someone put razor blades in it 😂

[@CME1994]

Used to love going there when I was a kid

[@AaronB1756]

Me and a few friends when in last weekend twice (once with 7 of us then another time a few hours later with 3) it was at night so it was really dark but nonetheless it was amazing to see inside it again after its closure Edit: where the single water slide is there is a ladder that goes up to the roof that we went up, idk if it was open when yous were there or if yous just didn’t go on the roof because it was daytime.

[@sStormy]

That place was my childhood 💔

[@OLIFAB]

Great explore!