DIY giant to move to move into Aberdeen nightclub

AMBITIOUS plans have been unveiled to transform a derelict nightclub on Aberdeen’s beachfront into the first store in Scotland operated by one of the UK’s largest home and leisure retail companies.

The Amadeus nightclub at the city’s Queens Links Leisure Park was the biggest in Scotland when it opened in 1997 with space for 2,000 clubbers in five themed bars.

But the popular club was forced to close its doors six years later for “operational reasons” and has been abandoned ever since. The adjoining Riva bingo hall also closed its doors four years ago.

The Range, one of Britain’s leading DIY, gardening and homeware chains, has now announced plans to open its first store in Scotland in the building in a development that could create up to 150 new jobs in the city.

The aim is to link the two redundant units to create a new 60,000 sq ft retail store.

Owned and operated by entrepreneur Chris Dawson, The Range employs 2500 staff at its 55 outlets in England and Wales. Mr Dawson said: “Aberdeen is an economic hot spot which outperforms many other cities in the UK. It is the ideal location for us to launch The Range brand in Scotland and there is much more to come, that I can guarantee you.”

He continued: “The Queens Links site is a great starting point for us to grow our business in Scotland and in addition to creating a large number of local jobs we are confident The Range will have a positive impact on Aberdeen’s excellent retail sector.”

Mark Lomax, senior portfolio manager for X-Leisure Ltd, which owns the leisure park, said: “We are delighted to have attracted a major UK retailer to Aberdeen and are confident their offering would be a great fit with the existing leisure and food outlets at Queens Links Leisure Park.”