Explore the parkland of Haddo House, taking in lakes, magnificent trees and rhododendrons, bird hides, a children's play area and the chance to visit the House, shop and tearoom.
Clear, waymarked paths
None to start.
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Haddo House and Country Park car park. Map and directions.
Haddo House is well signed north of Tarves from the B999 and south of Methlick from the B9005. The House and Country Park share the car park (charge payable) and there is information on the waymarked routes on a board here. This walk follows a combination of the blue and red routes and passes the children's play area and Haddo House towards the end of the walk. Start by taking the path which bears right from the information board, signed for the toilets. Pass the largest tree on the estate, a beech tree whose branches spread over 35 metres, and keep right at the fork, with an obelisk monument in the field to the right.
Soon the impressive ornate brick pheasantry is reached. Pheasant shooting has long been important to the estate and continues today. This building is now used by Scout camps and also houses public toilets. Walk along in front of the building and head through a narrow band of trees on a path before aiming diagonally left across the grassy area, with the option of detouring right to a spring.
Rejoin the main path and turn right to cross a wooden footbridge bridge. Once over the bridge the path bears left and soon reaches the ornate gates at the edge of the deer park with the lakes just to the left and a good view of Haddo House in the distance to the left. The parkland was set out by the Fourth Earl of Aberdeen in the 1800's. The Earl was prime minister during the Crimean War between 1852 and 1855 and was said to be a favourite of Queen Victoria. She stayed at Haddo in 1857 and is said to have planted two large Wellongtonia trees which still stand in the grounds today, the Fourth Earl is also credited with persuading Queen Victoria to purchase the Balmoral Estate. He was commemorated by his tenants with the building of the nearby Prop of Ythsie tower.
Go through the gates on the left and then immediately bear left to follow a wide grassy sward passing a bird hide overlooking the lake on the left. When the path comes down to the water, keep left to cross the wooden bridge, noting the rocky salmon ladder built to help the fish by-pass the weir to spawn higher up the Ythan Burn. Keep left to pass the end of the lake on a track and then keep left at the fork to stay near the water.
After passing another bird hide the path reaches a junction with one path heading near the water and a larger track. Turn briefly to the right on the track and then immediately left to head up next to a fence, keeping next to the fence as it passes an area of conifers on the right. Continue on this path until the children's play area can be seen ahead on the left. Aim towards it and follow the path through it to emerge opposite the front of Haddo House. Here you can go through the gate ahead to visit the gardens (and house if open - charge payable) or turn left to follow the track back to the car park at 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.
