Balmedie – A Picnic by the Dunes
A few hours.
The route
Balmedie Country Park lies behind the big dunes north of Aberdeen, with picnic tables on the grass, a play park and a level path through the dunes to miles of sand.
It's an easy family outing. Pick up the food in Balmedie village, eat at the tables, then walk it off on the beach.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
First
Pick up the picnic
The road to the park runs through Balmedie village, so the picnic can be picked up on the way.
- The supermarket
- The Co-op on Rowan Drive in Balmedie
- Ice cream and snacks
- The Sand Bothy in the park, on Saturday and Sunday afternoons from April to October
The day
Balmedie
Pick up the picnic in Balmedie village, eat at the tables behind the dunes, then take the path to the beach.
About two hours
Balmedie Beach and Country Park
A walk
Parking is free at the park entrance, at the end of the road through Balmedie village. The picnic tables are on the grass behind the dunes, and the toilets are in the main car park. Bring a rug as well, for a day when the tables are taken. Children have a play park here, with an inclusive roundabout among its equipment. After lunch, take the Beach Walk, the park's path for wheels as well as feet, which runs for about 600 metres through the dunes to a long, flat beach. Look for the wartime pillboxes and the concrete anti-tank blocks at the foot of the dunes. The wind off the sea is cold outside summer, so pack a warm layer for everyone. Barbecues are only for the stands the council provides, never a table or the grass.
If it rains
The tables, the dunes and the beach are all out in the open: in steady rain or a strong wind, keep the picnic for a better day.
Photographs by Clarisa and Dano Aberdeen (DanoAberdeen) via Google