North East Scotland feels quietly rich — a place of deep roots and wide skies, where ancient castles, forested hills, and fertile valleys create a landscape that’s both wild and cultivated. It’s less dramatic than the west, but no less powerful — a region of understated beauty, perfect for walkers who love peace, heritage, and hidden depth.
From the granite Cairngorms to the castle-lined banks of the River Dee, this is a place to walk with presence. Trails wind through pine woods, farmland, clifftops, and royal estates, with big skies above and red squirrels in the trees.
Britain’s largest national park offers everything from rugged upland routes to gentle forest trails. Explore the ancient Caledonian pinewoods, summit high plateaus, or follow riverbanks where deer and ospreys roam.
A waymarked trail through Royal Deeside, linking Aberdeen to Ballater. Walkers pass castles, riverside woodland, and stone-built villages along the route of the old railway line to Balmoral.
Walk along dramatic North Sea cliffs, past sea stacks, fishing harbours, and hidden beaches. The stretch from Stonehaven to Dunnottar Castle is particularly breathtaking.