Edinburgh Zoo has unveiled plans for its new penguin area, Penguins Rock, which will be completed early next year, before the spring breeding season commences.

External fencing is to be removed and replaced with glass and wood. There will also be enhanced viewing areas and creative interpretation.

Head of animals at the zoo, Darren McGarry, says the improvements will make visitors feel much closer to the penguins, and the birds will benefit from improved facilities such as diving platforms, slides, a bubble machine, a mock sandy beach and rocky areas.

The total cost of the new enclosure is £750,000. The Penguins Rock Appeal, launched in July, raised £130,000, which is the most successful fundraising appeal ever and smashed the £100,000 target. Other funding will come from grants, trusts and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which owns the zoo.