Crombie and Monikie – Two Parks, a Playground and the Dog
A day.
The route
Crombie and Monikie are two country parks a few minutes apart in the Angus countryside above Dundee, each with paths round a stretch of water among the trees.
Both welcome dogs and both have a play park, and Monikie has an adventure playground and a family-run café. Together they make a whole day out, and the dog can come too.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Airdit, 13 miles away. Sleeps 2; next free Sun 25 Oct to Tue 27 Oct.
The day
Monikie
A quiet morning among the trees at Crombie, with the hides and the squirrel feeding area. Then it's a short drive to Monikie for lunch and a long play in the adventure playground.
About five hours
Crombie Country Park
An attraction
Crombie Country Park lies off the B961, open every day of the year, and its car park is free. The Discovery, Peddieston and Birchwood Trails are made for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and they lead to accessible ponds, the bird hides and a squirrel feeding area. There's a play park for the children and a mini cycle track for mountain bikes. Dogs under control are welcome all year everywhere except the children's play park, so one of you waits outside with the dog while the other takes a turn. The toilets at the car park have baby changing, and there are accessible toilets near the visitor centre, whose hours vary. A couple of hours here is about right before lunch.
6 min by car
Monikie Country Park
It's 6 minutes' drive, under 3 miles, to Monikie Country Park, open every day of the year, where all the parking is free and the Information Centre opens from 9am to 4.30pm. Lunch is at Café Byzantium, the family-run café and restaurant in the park, with burgers, pizzas and Mediterranean dishes and a licensed bar. It opens on Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 9pm, on Sundays from noon to 8pm, and on bank and school holidays, and posts any change on its Facebook page. On other days, bring a picnic. Ring 01382 370970 to book a table or to ask about the dog. After lunch the Children's Adventure Playground is the big draw, and the Information Centre has self-led orienteering with simple map reading. Dogs under close control are welcome all year, but not in the play park, and there are dog bins around the park. The café, the trails and the Information Centre are all accessible, and the toilets have baby changing. Walk the park trails afterwards, or go to Denfind Bird Sanctuary for the wetland birds. The watersports and Angus Aqua Splash run only from April to October.
If it rains
Both parks are out of doors. On a wet day the bird hides at Crombie give some shelter, and Café Byzantium at Monikie is indoors on the days it opens.
Where to stay
Photographs by ben bremner and M T via Google