Kelvin Wheelies: Archaeologists 'excavating memories' of Scotland's first skatepark

Archaeologists are inviting the public to help “excavate their memories” of Scotland’s first skatepark.

A new dig is set to get under way at Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow to unearth the former Kelvin Wheelies, a state-of-the-art skatepark that was opened in 1978 but was closed just five years later.

From August 25–29, a team of archaeologists from the University of Glasgow – joined by students and volunteers – will conduct excavation and survey work at the site of the old skatepark, located near the current facility. The initiative is supported by a £1,102 grant from the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

Members of the public are invited to contact the project to share memories, videos and photographs of the original Kelvin Wheelies to be used in an online archive using #KelvinWheelies when posting on X and Bluesky or by emailing kenny.brophy@glasgow.ac.uk.

People can also visit the dig during fieldwork days from August 25-29.

Archaeologists are collecting memories of Scotland's oldest skatepark — Archaeologists are collecting memories of Scotland’s oldest skatepark Iain Urquhart

Kelvin Wheelies was hugely popular when it opened, featuring bowls, a slalom run and a half-pipe (or “hauf-pipe”). It hosted several competitions, including the first national skateboarding competition in Scotland, the 1978 Scottish Skateboard Championships, where Glasgow dominated the Bowl Riding competitions.

But growing concerns about maintenance costs and safety led to the park’s closure then burial by 1983. Elements of the original site remain visible adjacent to the modern skatepark in Kelvingrove Park today, but there is currently no information available to explain its cultural significance.

Dr Kenny Brophy FSAScot, senior lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Glasgow and project leader, said: “There is a very real danger that this skatepark, a place that was so special for hundreds of young people just decades ago, will become forgotten and lost.

“Contemporary archaeology allows us the opportunity to explore even fairly recent events and places to jog memories, combining traditional archaeological fieldwork techniques with interviews and documentary research.

“In the case of Kelvin Wheelies, this is a unique opportunity for a generation of skateboarders to relive the excitement of their youth and excavate their own memories of a place that was so special to them.”

Archaeologists at the University of Glasgow have also partnered with Archaeology Scotland’s New Audiences programme to invite volunteers from asylum seeking and refugee communities to participate in the fieldwork, to continue the programme’s efforts engaging marginalised communities in uncovering Glasgow’s sporting heritage.

Jamie Blair, owner of Glasgow-based skateboarding shop Clan Skates and former Scottish skateboard champion, said: “When Kelvin Wheelies opened in 1978, skaters from all over the UK flocked to this radical new facility.

“A park team was formed, and for the next few years, Glasgow was the dominant force in Scottish skateboarding.

“Sadly, a dip in skateboarding’s popularity in the early 1980s and the construction of a rival skatepark in Livingston saw the decline of Kelvin Wheelies, with the main bowlriding area buried in time. I’m thrilled that through this project we have a chance to rediscover it.”

Kelvin Wheelies was hugely popular when it opened Iain Urquhart

The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland awarded a total of £17,478 to 11 projects researching an aspect of Scottish history or archaeology, including 19th-century Scottish tea merchants and the global interactions in China, female emigration from Shetland and Skye to Australia during the Great Famine of 1845-51, and the dating of Viking ship stems from the Isle of Eigg.

Dr Helen Spencer FSAScot, head of research at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, said: “As a charity, we are especially grateful to our thousands of Fellows across the globe, whose subscription fees enable us to distribute these grants each year.

“If you’d also like to support our work, please consider becoming a Fellow to help cover the cost of high-quality research into Scotland’s past.

“Anyone who is interested in Scotland’s history and archaeology is welcome to apply for Fellowship of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and the next deadline for applications is September 30, 2025.

“Society grants are also open to everyone, and the next deadline is November 30 2025.”