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Okay, this isn't ever going to win walk report of the month, but it's not often you can get out of bed late, go for a walk, do your weekly food shop
and still get home with plenty of time to spare before lunch!
Countesswells is literally right on the edge of Aberdeen - as soon as you're beyond the houses and allowed above 30mph you're basically there. These are forest walks, and stunning vistas and bleak landscapes are not part of the experience, but it'd be worth considering for a Boxing Day stroll, during high winds (although it is a forest), or on a snowy day when rural roads aren't good for driving on.
Just a dusting of snow left from the previous day when we were there. Plenty of dog walkers around, and an annoying charge at the car park which won't do much to encourage city-dwellers to get out and about. But the paths were excellent, there was a good variety of landscape (forest and field; a mix of enclosed and more open areas), and at one point a decent view opens out towards southern Deeside - including, I think, the most easterly Corbett, Mount Battock (not this photo). A red squirrel was also spotted on the southern, last section of the walk.
Anyway, it was nice to get out for a bit, and the walk's handily placed just a stone's throw away from the Tesco on Lang Stracht to go shopping on the way home... saves on petrol costs only needing one trip...
