Explore the beautiful parkland of Haddo House, taking in sculptures, lakes, magnificent trees and rhododendrons, bird hides, an impressive children's play area and the chance to visit the stately House, shop and tearoom.
Clear paths throughout.
None to start.
Haddo House and Country Park car park.
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) and there is information board with a map of the estate here. Start by heading to the stable block but then turning right as you reach it. Pass through the gates, and then stay on the main path straight ahead, ignoring paths left and right. There's a sensory garden on the right. Soon another fork is reached, next to what is thought to be the beech tree with the largest girth trunk in Scotland. Keep right at the fork; there's an obelisk monument in view 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. Follow the path around the back of the building. Soon the path forks - take the right branch, past some fine Scots Pines.
The path curves left and the two paths rejoin next to an impressive childrens' play area. Keep ahead, and then turn right at a t-junction to pass between two lakes.
The route now leads through a pair of ornate gates at the edge of the deer park. The parkland was set out by the fourth Earl of Aberdeen in the 1800s. The Earl was the 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 and head straight on up the hill, ignoring a path off left, and past two fine deer sculptures before reaching the massive stone urn at the top of the hill. The urn and deer commemorate the 4th Earl's wife and children who died of tuberculosis. From here there are stunning views looking straight back down to Haddo House. Retrace your steps to the deer sculptures, and then take the path off to the right. This undulates along the edge of the woods; when a gate is reached don't pass through but instead follow the path which curves left downhill.
At the bottom of the hill keep straight ahead - ignoring a path left - to pass through a gap in a fence and cross and footbridge. The rocky salmon ladder on the river to your left helps the fish by-pass the weir to spawn higher up the Ythan Burn. Keep straight ahead to follow the path across the dam at the north end of the main lake, passing a covered building with good views over the water.
At the far end of the dam fork left onto a grassier path, following the western shore of the lake. After passing a bird hide (off to the left) the path reaches a junction by a seat. Ignore a path left, and curve right, then ignore the path right and go straight ahead. The path continues ahead, with a felled area to the right.
Continue on this broad path, noting another children's play area over to the left. At the next junction turn left. Continue along this, giving a fine view to the front of Haddo House at one point. You could turn right here to visit the gardens (and house if open - charge payable) or continue ahead to follow the track back to the car park at the start.
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