My Favourite Places to Walk
6 June 2016
Whilst I enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life, I adore spending my weekends in the depth of the Aberdeenshire countryside. Just a short distance from Aberdeen city centre are two of my much-loved walking retreats!
Aden Country Park is a vast beautiful green space and its relaxed ambience has made it one of my favourite places to visit since I worked in the café during school and University.
There’s always something going on in the park making it an excellent place to take the kids for an outdoor adventure. There’s a children’s play area, annual pipe band competitions, farmers markets and equestrian events, to name but a few. My top tip for a nice day; grab a blanket and put together a picnic, you can’t beat a picnic in this charming park!
The nearby Pitfour Lake is another favourite for those days I just fancy a calm walk in the peaceful breeze of the Aberdeenshire air. Though I’m not sure the lake will feel so peaceful this weekend… there’s the 10k Mintlaw Mudder – I will definitely be there to cheer them on but you won’t catch me covered in mud!
The lake’s scenery is stunning whether light or dark, hot or cold, and I regularly visit it all round the year. It’s also home to a variety of wildlife, most exotic of which is the resident Osprey.
These walks really do make for a nice country day out and I always take pleasure in rounding up my visit with a trip to the Saplinbrae Hotel. It’s only a short walk from Aden Country Park and Pitfour Lake so it’s the ideal stop off for a spot of lunch – they even do a delicious afternoon tea!
All information is correct at the time of publishing, we recommend that you check opening times and information for individual places before visiting.