I visited the new dinosaur attraction near Glasgow
Hailed as the biggest Jurassic event to hit the UK, the Lost Kingdom tour in Rutherglen will run throughout the summer holidays, until July 13.
Playing host to prehistoric playgrounds and featuring more than 50 animatronic beasts — including an 18m-tall T-Rex — I was lucky to be invited along to experience the family fun attraction.
(Image: Pictures taken by Gordon Terris, Newsquest) (Image: Pictures taken by Gordon Terris, Newsquest) As modern media churns out dinosaur documentaries and Hollywood continues to add more films to the Jurassic Park world - such as the new release, Jurassic World Rebirth - eager lovers of the animals can learn facts from an array of places and engage in fictional realities of what it could have been like to walk with dinosaurs.
However, The Lost Kingdom takes it one step further.
Starting in a big open field, I was greeted by the aforementioned enormous T-Rex and some smaller dinosaur displays, which were perfect for some early photo opportunities.
Then, as I started on the well-labelled path, the fun began.
(Image: Pictures taken by Gordon Terris, Newsquest) The path, which took me on a huge loop of the park, featured everything from Styracosaurus and Brachiosaurus to Pterodactyls.
The dinosaurs were animatronic, their heads, claws, and jaws moving and tails swinging. And when you got up close, they were incredibly lifelike.
The details poured into each animal were brilliant, from their lifelike size to the shape of their teeth and the texture of their skin.
(Image: Pictures taken by Gordon Terris, Newsquest) (Image: Pictures taken by Gordon Terris, Newsquest) I even came across dinosaurs I had never heard of, such as the Therizinosaurus — which looked like a dinosaur crossed with a woolly mammoth.
It was incredible to turn the corner and be confronted with a piece of the past which was brand new to me.
(Image: Pictures taken by Gordon Terris, Newsquest.) There were recordings of each individual dinosaur's roar playing on approach and you can read a fact file which includes basic information like the animal's name, weight and height, as well as some other quirky facts.
Learning new facts was one of the big highlights of the attraction. I have loved dinosaurs for many years, with my dad even buying me an inflatable dinosaur as a Christmas decoration one year, so I went in wondering if there was much more to learn. And there certainly was.
Some of my favourite facts were that the Parasaurolophus had a strange skull crest which actually produced a trumpet-like sound, similar to that of elephants, for communication and as a warning. I also learned that the Apatosaurus were the least intelligent of all dinosaurs and that the Iguanodon had toothless beaks which researchers believed were probably covered with keratin.
(Image: Pictures taken by Gordon Terris, Newsquest) (Image: Pictures taken by Gordon Terris, Newsquest) The location was also a big highlight of the experience. With all its forestry and greenery, the attraction does feel as though it is in, well, a lost kingdom. There is plenty of space for youngsters to run around in too.
There were also attractions already within the park, such as climbing walls, slides and play parks. So, there is plenty to prolong your stay and keep the kids entertained for even longer.
There are also stalls selling sweet treats, drinks and food, as well as dinosaur merchandise and rides were available for kids to enjoy.
There are a handful of clean and free to use toilets at the end of the route.
(Image: Pictures taken by Gordon Terris, Newsquest) The only reason the attraction dropped a point was due to some minor inconsistencies.
Firstly, the sound from the dinosaurs was a bit too loud at times, and some plaques had no information cards on them. One information card was also in a different language.
Overall, though, this was a fun way to spend a morning out of the office. I got some steps in, fresh air, and learned some new facts about one of my favourite species.
Online ticket prices are as follows:
Adult: £14.50
Child: £12.50
Concession: £12.50
Group Ticket: £11.50
Family Ticket: £50.00
For more information on the attraction, visit www.thelostkingdom.uk/Glasgow
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