Best Places to Visit Near Aberdeen
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best places to visit near Aberdeen are Blackdog Beach, Balmedie Beach, Dunnottar Castle, Old Slains Castle, Crawton Waterfall, Bullers of Buchan, Dess Waterfall and Aikey Brae Stone Circle.
Aberdeen, the granite city on Scotland's north-east coast, makes a fine base for exploring Aberdeenshire's varied countryside and shore. Just north of the city, the long sandy beaches of Blackdog and Balmedie stretch out behind some of Britain's biggest dune systems.
Head south down the coast towards Stonehaven and you reach the cliff-top ruins of Dunnottar Castle and the seaward drop of Crawton Waterfall. Further up the coast in the Buchan country lie the crumbled remains of Old Slains Castle, the extraordinary sea chasm at the Bullers of Buchan, and the ancient stones of Aikey Brae.
Inland to the west, on quiet Deeside, a short path leads down to the wooded Dess Waterfall. Between them these spots take in wartime beaches, medieval strongholds, tumbling burns, seabird cliffs and a Neolithic circle, a real spread of coast and country within easy reach.
Whether you fancy a bracing shore walk or a day-trip to a ruined castle, there is plenty to choose from. Here are eight places to visit near Aberdeen.
Blackdog Beach
Photo: Bill Harrison via Geograph.org.uk
Explore Blackdog Beach Just a few miles up the coast from the city, Blackdog is a long, wild sweep of sand and shifting dunes on the Aberdeenshire shore. This is an undeveloped, windswept place where great banks of marram-covered dune move with the weather, uncovering and burying the concrete relics of wartime defences, among them a toppled pillbox the sand gives up and swallows again over the years.
Part of the shore lies beside an army rifle range, and the beach was mined during the Second World War before being cleared. Rough grassland backs the dunes, and offshore wind turbines turn.
It suits walkers and birdwatchers rather than sunbathers.
Balmedie Beach
Photo: Richard Webb via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Balmedie Beach A little further north, Balmedie is a long, wide sweep of sand backed by one of the largest dune systems in Britain. The sand runs for miles as part of a chain of beach and dune, with tall marram-covered ridges rising behind and boardwalks threading through them from the country park.
It is a big, open, breezy shore where you can walk a long way and meet few people. Among the dunes lie the concrete remains of 1940s defences, anti-tank blocks and pillboxes.
To the south, golf links have been laid over part of the dunes, while the cold North Sea rolls in along the whole length.
Dunnottar Castle
Photo: Anne Burgess via Geograph.org.uk
Visit Dunnottar Castle South of the city near Stonehaven, Dunnottar Castle spreads in ruins across a flat-topped rock almost cut off from the land, ringed by sheer drops to the sea. A steep path falls and climbs again to reach the headland, where the buildings stand on the cliff edge.
It was here that the Scottish crown jewels were hidden from Cromwell's army through a long siege, then smuggled out to safety. The spread of ruins and the dramatic clifftop setting make it one of Scotland's most striking castles, and a rewarding half-hour's drive down the coast from Aberdeen.
Old Slains Castle
Photo: Anne Burgess via Geograph.org.uk
Seek out Old Slains Castle North of the city on the Buchan coast, Old Slains Castle is a scant clifftop ruin about a mile south of Collieston, once the seat of the Hay Earls of Errol. Only a fragment or two of crumbling wall now stand on the rocky headland above the North Sea, so the wild setting is more the draw than the stonework.
The castle was destroyed on the orders of James VI in 1594, after the Hays joined a Catholic rising against the king. Worth the drive up the coast, it is reached on a coastal walk from Collieston, and should not be muddled with the later New Slains Castle further north at Cruden Bay.
Crawton Waterfall
Photo: Hugh Venables via Geograph.org.uk
See Crawton Waterfall Back down the coast south of Stonehaven, Crawton Waterfall drops over the sea cliffs, its burn falling straight towards the shore below. It stands beside the deserted fishing village of Crawton, left empty in the 1920s, whose ruined houses still line the clifftop.
Seabirds crowd the nearby Fowlsheugh cliffs in the breeding season. The fall is seen at its best from the water, on boat trips out of Stonehaven, making this a fine excursion to pair with a day-trip down the coast from Aberdeen.
Bullers of Buchan
Photo: Colin Smith via Geograph.org.uk
Explore the Bullers of Buchan Further north again on the Buchan coast, the Bullers of Buchan is a strange sight, a great circular chasm in the cliffs where a sea cave has collapsed to leave a deep rock cauldron open to the sky. The sea pours in through a natural archway at the base, so far below that in a storm the water seems to boil in the pit, which gave the place its name.
A narrow, unfenced path runs around the rim, with sheer drops on either hand. In summer the walls are white with nesting puffins, kittiwakes and guillemots.
Johnson and Boswell were rowed into the pit in 1773. A wild spot worth the drive.
Dess Waterfall
Photo: Stanley Howe via Geograph.org.uk
Dess Waterfall It is the setting rather than the size that people come for: a small fall on the Dess Burn tucked into an enclosed, rocky, wooded hollow, all green shade and running water. You will find it on Deeside a couple of miles west of Kincardine O'Neil in Aberdeenshire, marked by nothing more than a tiny layby off the road.
From there a short, unsigned path with a flight of steps drops down to the foot of the water. Quiet and easily missed, with nothing to open or close, it makes an unhurried stop at any hour on a wider tour of the valley.
Aikey Brae Stone Circle
Photo: Ralph Greig via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Aikey Brae Stone Circle Last, out in the Buchan country near Old Deer, Aikey Brae is a recumbent stone circle standing in a clearing on a low hill. A short walk uphill through forestry brings you to it.
The ring is much reduced now, with several stones fallen, but the great recumbent still lies flat along the south-western side, a single block of around twenty-one tonnes. The stones that remain were graded by height, tallest towards the recumbent and shortest opposite, a pattern found across this part of Scotland.
Circles like this were raised some four to four and a half thousand years ago. From the hill the view runs out over rolling farmland.
FAQs
How far is Dunnottar Castle from Aberdeen?
Dunnottar Castle sits about 23 km south of Aberdeen, near Stonehaven, roughly a half-hour drive down the coast. The cliff-top ruin is reached on a short but steep path from the car park.
Which beaches are near Aberdeen?
Just north of Aberdeen you will find Blackdog Beach around 8 km out and Balmedie Beach a little further at about 12 km, both long, dune-backed sweeps of sand good for windswept walks.
Are there good places for a day-trip from Aberdeen?
Yes. The Bullers of Buchan sea chasm, Old Slains Castle and Aikey Brae Stone Circle all lie north of Aberdeen in the Buchan country, each an easy day-trip by car.
Conclusion
From windswept sands to ancient stones, the country around Aberdeen rewards anyone willing to explore. North of the city lie the long beaches of Blackdog and Balmedie, while the Buchan coast holds Old Slains Castle, the astonishing chasm of the Bullers of Buchan and the circle at Aikey Brae.
To the south, near Stonehaven, stand cliff-top Dunnottar Castle and the falling burn at Crawton. Inland on Deeside, the little Dess Waterfall tucks into its wooded glen.
Beaches, castles, waterfalls, seabird cliffs and a Neolithic ring together show off the variety of this north-east corner of Scotland. Pick a bracing shore walk or a full day-trip down the coast, and from the sands to the standing stones, these are the places to visit near Aberdeen.
