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Things to do
in Aberdeenshire.

It’s 00:58 in Aberdeenshire.
Aberdeenshire

Gliders, saunas and Highland cows.

There's plenty to do in Aberdeenshire beyond the castles. Fly silently over Royal Deeside in a glider, sit in a wood-fired sauna on a hillside near Ballater, or brush a Highland cow on a family hill farm. You can watch traditional wooden boats being built by the links at Portsoy, tour a red deer farm, and play one of the oldest golf links in the world. There are walks for every level, too. Whatever the weather, there's a day to fill.

Royal Aberdeen Golf Club→
Glen Tanar Pinewoods Walk→
Clachnaben Walk, Glen Dye→
Milton of Crathes to Crathes Castle Walk→
Stravaig Saunas→
Rhindbuckie Walk→
Drum Castle Walk→
Scolty Hill Walk→
Hill of Maryfield Walk→
Autumn19 minutes ago

What Stravaig Saunas looks like in autumn.

A wood-fired timber sauna on a hillside in Royal Deeside, near Ballater, with hour-long sessions and a view over the Dee valley, made by a local joinery firm.

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Place of the dayJust now

Milton of Crathes to Crathes Castle Walk.

A short walk from the Milton of Crathes courtyard through the underpass beneath the A93 and up the woodland drive to Crathes Castle, part of the riverside walk from Banchory.

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In AberdeenshireJust now

At Gamrie Gardens near Banff, a pig called Winnie is sealing a new pond by rooting in the soil.

The old technique, gleying, means the community allotment needs no plastic liner, and a rescued duck called Kevin keeps the snails down.

Photograph: Gamrie Gardens on Google MapsRead about it
Newly discoveredJust nowAberdeenshireBallaterAttractionAberdeenshireWaulkmill MenagerieActivityAberdeenshireMorgan McVeigh'sRestaurantAberdeenshireTullynessle Deer FarmActivityAberdeenshireGlenglassaugh DistilleryAttractionAberdeenshireHarbour Dunes CaféCafe

Some good places to go, newly added to the site.

The newest places on our pages in Aberdeenshire.

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Did you knowJust now

Just north of Cruden Bay in Aberdeenshire, a narrow clifftop path at the Bullers of Buchan runs round a collapsed sea cave 30 metres deep.

Down in the chasm the waves rush in through a natural archway. In spring and summer the cliffs fill with puffins, kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills, with campion, heather and orchids in flower. The path is narrow, so take care near the edge. Along the coast at Cruden Bay stands Slains Castle, first built in 1597.

See Bullers of Buchan · Aberdeenshire
From our guideJust now

Huntly Falconry Centre.

Head northwest out of Aberdeen and you’ll eventually reach the village of Huntly, where this falconry centre has been flying owls, eagles and other raptors since 1991. It helped to supply birds for the Harry Potter films, and has daily displays between April and October.

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From the magazineJust nowThe printed copy of Issue 06Issue 06Spring / Summer 2023

The wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin searched more than a million trees on Glen Tanar Estate, in Aberdeenshire, to find one golden eagle nest for the BBC.

Hamza, a Sudanese-British cameraman and presenter, was working on Wild Isles, the series presented by Sir David Attenborough. Only 20 pairs of golden eagles in the UK nest in trees, all of them in Scotland, and one of those pairs lives on the estate. While the birds gathered material for their nest, Hamza spent countless hours scanning the treetops through binoculars. After several days, a lot of caffeine and some methodical searching, the nest was found: a large eyrie, 1.5 metres deep, high in a Scots pine in a remote corner of the estate. That spring the female laid two eggs, and both chicks hatched.

Read the full story in Issue 06
From Issue 8 of Hidden Scotland magazineIssue 8Just now

A Weekend Exploring Royal Deeside

Alice Nicol of the Ballogie Estate plans a weekend on Royal Deeside: Potarch Café, wild swimming, Loch Muick and Lochnagar, the Linn of Dee, Crathes Castle and where to eat and shop.

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Did you knowJust now

From May to early August, more than 115,000 seabirds breed on the cliffs of RSPB Fowlsheugh, about five miles from Stonehaven.

Guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars and puffins crowd the ledges. The trail from Crawton runs about a mile along the clifftop, and starts with two flights of steps. The seabird season is over by early August, though the walk is open all year. The car park has only 12 spaces, and dogs stay on a lead.

See RSPB Fowlsheugh · Aberdeenshire
Just openedJust now

Forvie Outdoors has opened at Collieston, with a sauna, paddleboards and kayaks at the beach.

James Walker left his job as a sports scientist at Aberdeen Football Club to set it up at the beach he grew up visiting.

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From our guideJust now

Stonehaven Open Air Pool.

This heated, open-air, Olympic-sized pool is well set up for kids of all ages, with play equipment, family sessions, and a paddling pool for under-8s. The water is kept at a temperature of 29C, and the on-site Splash Café provides sustenance for any hungry, armband-clad athletes.

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LunchJust nowAberdeenshireRide Coffee House Banchory0.6 milesAberdeenshireBanchory Lodge0.7 milesAberdeenshireBuchanan Bistro0.8 miles

Lunch near Hill of Maryfield Walk.

The three good places closest to it: Ride Coffee House Banchory, Banchory Lodge and Buchanan Bistro.

See Hill of Maryfield Walk

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