A walk in Dunnottar Woods to the Shell House

A walk · Stonehaven

Dunnottar Woods – Stonehaven's Wood of Follies

About 2.1 miles on foot.

Dunnottar Woods cover the valley of the Carron Water on the south side of Stonehaven, in what were once the grounds of Dunnottar House.

The Kennedy family who lived there left a scatter of curiosities among the trees, and a waymarked trail of about an hour links them. It's a sheltered, easy walk among beech, ash and sycamore, and nothing like the windy cliff path to the castle that shares its name.

Time: About an hour: Forestry and Land Scotland's History Trail, 3.4 km (2 miles), graded moderate.
The path: Firm but uneven gravel, long moderate slopes with short steeper sections, tree roots and muddy patches.
Where to start: The Forestry and Land Scotland car park at the south end of the woods, on the side road called Dunnottar Church off the A957: £1 for up to an hour, £2 for up to three hours, £3 all day, Blue Badge holders free; pay by RingGo. AB39 3XX is the nearest postcode.
When to go: All year in daylight; at its best in autumn leaf.
Dogs: Under close control.
Children: A short trail with a stone hut and a pool to find. Hold hands at the two road crossings.
Toilets: None in the woods: accessible public toilets in Stonehaven.
Before you set out: The trail crosses two quiet roads.

The walk

The Forestry and Land Scotland car park is at the south end of the woods, on the side road called Dunnottar Church, just off the A957 and north of its junction with the A92. AB39 3XX is the nearest postcode. Parking is £1 for up to an hour, £2 for up to three hours or £3 for the day, paid by RingGo. You can also walk in from Stonehaven itself, where paths climb into the trees from Carron Gardens and Low Wood Road. The waymarked History Trail is 3.4 km and takes about an hour.

These were the grounds of Dunnottar House, the home of the Kennedy family, and their follies are still here among the beech, ash and sycamore. The Shell House is a small domed stone hut in a clearing. Lady Kennedy's Bath is a stone-edged pool on the burn, or stream, and the trail also climbs Gallow's Hill. In autumn the paths are deep in fallen leaves. The trail is graded moderate.

It's firm but uneven gravel with long slopes, a few steeper stretches, tree roots and muddy patches, and it crosses two quiet roads. There are no toilets in the woods, so use the public ones in Stonehaven. Keep dogs under close control. Dunnottar Castle isn't on this walk. It stands on the cliffs to the east, and this is the sheltered choice for a day when the cliff path is too wild.

If it rains

The trees keep off the worst of a shower and the trail is short, so this is a fair walk for a damp day. The slopes get muddy, so wear boots.