Milton of Crathes – A Wooded Drive to the Tower of Crathes
About 1.6 miles on foot.
A short walk on Deeside, from the old farm steading at Milton of Crathes up a wooded drive to the pink tower of Crathes Castle.
Aberdeenshire Council's walking map gives the loop as 2.5 km and half an hour, and it starts beside the station of a heritage railway. Lunch is at Maison Castanié, a French deli in the steading.
- Time
- Half an hour of walking by Aberdeenshire Council's map, a loop of 2.5 km (1.6 miles); allow an hour.
- The path
- Cobbles and gravel in the courtyard, then a drive that climbs gently through the woods.
- Where to start
- The car park at Milton of Crathes, just off the A93 east of Banchory. Free.
- When to go
- All year in daylight. Maison Castanié is shut on Mondays.
- Children
- A short walk, with a play park at Milton of Crathes.
- Before you set out
- The castle and its walled garden have their own ticket and opening hours, set by the National Trust for Scotland.
The walk
Park at Milton of Crathes, the old farm steading just off the A93 east of Banchory. Parking is free, and there are toilets. The walk leaves the cobbled courtyard and its stone-built shops, passes under the main road and joins the long drive of Crathes Castle, which climbs gently through the estate's woods. In autumn the drive is deep in fallen leaves.
Then the trees open, and the pink granite tower stands across the lawns under its turrets. Aberdeenshire Council's walking map gives the loop between the car park, Milton Wood and the castle as 2.5 km (1.6 miles) and half an hour of walking. Allow an hour, with time to stand and look at the castle. The castle and its walled garden belong to the National Trust for Scotland and have their own ticket and opening hours, so ask the Trust before you set out if you'd like to go in.
Beside the car park is the station of the Royal Deeside Railway, a heritage line on a short stretch of the old Deeside track, with a yellow timber station building and maroon and cream carriages at its platform. Trains run only on the railway's own running days, which are on its calendar. The Deeside Way, the path along the old railway line from Aberdeen, passes Milton as well. For a longer walk it carries on west beside the Dee to Banchory, which the council's map gives as 5 km (3.1 miles) and an hour each way.
If it rains
It's a short walk, so a shower matters little. On a very wet day, walk up to the castle and back the same way, then have lunch indoors.
Afterwards
Maison Castanié
Lunch
Lunch is at Maison Castanié, a French deli and coffee shop in one of the old stone steadings at Milton, where the walk ends. It opens from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm. There are baguettes filled by hand, fresh soup, French cheese and charcuterie, and croissants and cakes by the pastry chef Graham Sutherland. It's step-free throughout, and dogs are welcome at the tables outside. On a Monday, the Milton Brasserie, also at Milton, opens from 9.30am to 4pm. Over Christmas and New Year, check before going.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
Where to eat
Maison Castanié, a café in Banchory.
Café 1702 at Crathes Castle, a café in Crathes.
For further reading, before you go.