Deeside Way Railway Walk
This shared cycling and walking trail runs along a disused railway line from Aberdeen to Ballater, in the Cairngorms.
The route starts in the city of Aberdeen on the northern side of Duthie Park. You then head west to Peterculter, Drumoak and Banchory where there's a nice run along the River Dee.
You cross the river here and continue west through the Blackhall Forest where there are some good mountain bike trails. The route then turns north west to Kincardine O' Neil where you will pass through Dess Wood. You could take a small detour here to visit the secluded Dess Waterfall.
The trail continues west passing the Loch of Aboyne and Loch Kinord before following the River Dee into Ballater.
Please click here for more information
Deeside Way Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Deeside Way Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Deeside Way OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Deeside Way Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
For more walking ideas in the area see the Cairngorms Walks page.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Duthie Park, Aberdeen. Route start.
The old Culter Station on the Deeside Way. The railway which ran from Aberdeen to Banchory (and eventually on to Ballater) was opened in 1853 and closed in 1966; the station at Culter was the last on the line to be closed. The trackbed was restored in 2006 as the Deeside Way.
Near Nether Park
The old railway station for Peterculter, the remains of a dismantled road bridge can be seen on either side, the route is now a popular walk/cycle way.
Loch Kinord. Loch Kinord and the nearby Loch Davan were both formed when the last glaciers melted here more than 10.000 years ago. They are textbook examples of kettle holes. These were formed when large blocks of ice became separated from the melting glacier and were buried by sand and gravel. When that ice finally melted, the sand and gravel that once lay on top of the ice collapsed, leaving a hollow (kettle hole) on the ground surface which later filled with water. The lochs are relatively shallow. Loch Kinord has an average depth of about 2 metres. The shallow depth means that light can penetrate to the loch floor. Consequently, the loch has a rich flora with many species of aquatic plants recorded.
The Deeside Way at Aboyne
Loch of Aboyne
Ballater from the bridge over the River Dee at the end of the route.