Aboyne – The Green, the Dee and the Boat Inn
A few hours.
The route
Aboyne Green is the wide lawn the village was built round, home of the Aboyne Games every August, and on a still evening it's a lovely place to begin a stroll.
From there it's a short walk down to the Dee and out onto Aboyne Bridge, open now only to walkers, before a drink by the log fire at the Boat Inn, on the riverbank since 1720. It's at its best on a cold winter evening by the fire, or a long summer one on the terrace.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
Book a table at the Boat Inn on 013398 86137 or online if you want supper, and say if you're bringing a dog, as the dog-friendly dining room is upstairs; for a drink the Shed Bar and outside tables are first come, first served.
The day
Aboyne
An evening on foot in the middle of Aboyne: across the Green as the light goes, down to the river, and in by the fire.
About two hours
Aboyne Green
Start on Aboyne Green, the wide lawn the village was built round, with granite houses and the church spire along its edge. If you've come by car, park free in Station Square, across the main road from the Green. The Aboyne Games have been held here since 1867, on the first Saturday in August. In midsummer it stays light until after 10pm; from late October it's dark before 5pm, so bring a torch in the winter months.
12 min on foot
Aboyne Bridge
It's a 12-minute walk south down Charlestown Road to the Dee, where Aboyne Bridge crosses the river. It was built in the late 1930s and has been shut to cars since November 2023, so step out onto it, along its pavement, and watch the river run wide and dark below.
The Boat Inn
A drink
The Boat Inn stands at the north end of the bridge, where the old ferry crossed, and has been an inn since 1720. It's a village pub with log fires, local ales and Scottish craft spirits, and the Shed Bar often has local musicians playing. It opens every day from 9.30am, until 10pm Sunday to Wednesday and 11pm Thursday to Saturday. Dogs, children and muddy boots are welcome. To eat, book on 013398 86137; the dog-friendly dining room is upstairs. If the tables are full, the Shed and outside are first come, first served.
If it rains
The walk is about 12 minutes on pavements; in rain or a gale skip the bridge and go straight in by the fire.
The Boat Inn, inn at Aboyne Bridge.
Photographs by Amro Hassan and John Middleton via Google