Best walk from Portlethen
Kincardineshire · Scotland
MapJump on a train, get off at Portlethen Station and lose yourself in a beautiful hike for the day.
Portlethen Station to Aberdeen Station
Great walk along the clifftops; stunning clifftop paths. A walk of two halves: the first 5km is uneventful but quiet road walking through farmland and former fishing villages, then around 10km of stunning clifftop coastal path (the Aberdeen Coastal Path), weaving in and out of inlets and with an industrial stretch near Aberdeen harbour and the lovely Cove Community Woodland. Follows the Aberdeen Coastal Path along the cliffs; an optional 2-3km diversion via Greyhope Road offers a chance to see dolphins at the harbour mouth, plus a café and toilet at Torry Battery. Lots of nesting seabirds, and Cove Community Woodland has wildflower meadows and benches.
Tough: steep ascents. 16km.
Sections run along clifftop paths where care is required, though never dangerously close to the edge. The road walking into Portlethen has no path in places, so care is needed; hill-walking boots recommended for some sections.
Lunch: A Premier store at Cove (around 7km) and a café at Torry Battery slightly off-route.