This pleasant woodland walk on the fringes of Stonehaven is given added interest by follies built by the owners of the now-demolished Dunnottar House.
Woodland paths.
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Glaslaw Bridge. Map and directions.
Dunnottar Woods can be accessed from several points including from Stonehaven itself; however the best parking is at Glaslaw Bridge near the junction with the A92 and the walk is described from there (signed on the walk as Glasslaw Gate). Begin by following the waymarked track that heads through a gate and descends gently into the woods. Soon a path goes off to the right, signed for Lady Kennedy's bath; turn along here. The bath, a stone-built chamber in the bed of the Glaslaw Burn, was built by Lady Kennedy of Dunnottar though it is not known whether she used it herself or whether it was for her children.
Cross the footbridge and then turn left along the path downstream. Fork left to head back down to another footbridge and cross to regain the main route, turning right. Ignore the path off left up the steps and continue to reach a tarmac minor road; the giant walls of the Dunnottar Nursery - once the walled garden of the house - are seen ahead. Cross the minor road, staggered to the right, to follow a path signed for the Shell House.
Soon the shell house is reached. This tiny domed building has its internal walls decorated by being completely covered with different shells. Like the bath it is thought to have been built on the instruction of Lady Kennedy. Continue on the trail, keeping right when it reaches a junction. The path now continues through the woods across the slope, keeping just to the right of the field above. At the far end ignore the path down to the houses of Stonehaven and instead follow the path round to the left, now running along by the edge of the field itself.
Ignore another path that descends to the right and continue on the main route by the field edge. Eventually follow the route as it bends left to gain a track which runs close to the nursery boundary and regains the minor road. Head across this onto a path opposite.
A marker indicates a detour to the left that leads up onto the hilltop, the site of an old burial cairn. Just short of the summit is the ice-house of Dunnottar; the entrance is blocked off but the steps are surrounded by an iron railing. Back on the main trail, keep bearing left at two forks. A sign marks where Dunnottar house once would have stood; it replaced the apartments at nearby Dunnottar Castle in the late eighteenth century; the house became derelict in the twentieth century and was demolished in 1960. Eventually the path rejoins the outward track; bear right to retrace your steps to the start.
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Walking can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk. Information is provided free of charge; it is each walkers' responsibility to check it and navigate using a map and compass.
