Explore miles of pristine beach, sand dunes, and woodland trails with a dedicated play park, ice cream facilities, and accessible beach wheelchairs for all abilities.

Balmedie Country Park is a coastal destination spanning beach, sand dunes, heathland, and wooded areas connected by scenic paths and boardwalks. Located 8 miles north of Aberdeen, this award-winning park offers visitors a natural playground ideal for families with children of all ages. The park features a constructed play area with inclusive equipment, including an accessible roundabout installed by Belhelvie Community Trust. Five recommended walking routes range from 600m to 3.5km, accommodating different fitness levels and interests. The flat sand beach is popular with walkers, runners, dog owners, and horse riders. Historical attractions include four remaining WWII pillboxes, a 19th-century ice house used for salmon fishing, and remains of anti-tank blocks along the dunes. Visitors can observe shifting sand dunes that form part of a nationally important 15-mile dune system extending from Aberdeen to Newburgh. The Sand Bothy, a Visit Scotland 3-star rated café, operates weekends April to October, offering ice cream and refreshments. Balmedie Beach received Visit Scotland's Beach Award for excellence in access, facilities, safety, and environmental quality. The park provides free parking, accessible public toilets with a disabled changing facility, barbecue stands, picnic tables, and innovative beach wheelchairs enabling disabled visitors and their families to access the shore. Open dawn to dusk year-round, it's an inclusive destination suitable for all ages and abilities.

Venue Details

What this place offers

Toilets

Public transport nearby

Accessible toilets

Free WiFi

Baby changing facilities

Food available

On-site parking

🐕Dog-friendly

Parking nearby

Pushchair friendly

☕ Food & Drink

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Naomi Guthrie

2 months ago

Beautiful wide sandy beach 😍 A wee climb over sandy dunes, so not accessible for those with mobility issues. Dogs & kids had a great time, and the beach stretches for miles so plenty of space for everyone on busy sunny days ☀️🏖️😎

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C E

2 months ago

Gorgeous beach! Took our horses here Wednesday morning for a ride was barely a soul in sight. Very easy to find & great parking for horse boxes. Signed well, & kept lovely we didn’t see any litter or used bbq’s floating about which was lovely. Just a stunning beach, highly recommend to fellow equestrians!

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Anastasia Gladkova

3 months ago

The most beautiful beach in Aberdeenshire! I’m a photographer and very often have photo shoots in this place

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Robert Laird

a year ago

Excellent beach with toilet facilities and free parking. Multiple paths leading to the beach including one easy (no climbing sand dunes) access flat boardwalk suitable for pedestrians, bikes, wheelchairs etc but not horses. The Sand Bothy cafe open Summer weekends. Even when there are a lot of people, never feels busy due to the vastness of the beach. Sometimes see the odd seal pop up to say hello. Popular with dog walkers at all times. Weather seems to be a couple of degrees cooler with at least a breeze. Wonderful place for a beach walk.

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Yarys

2 years ago

Balmedie Beach is a beautiful sandy beach that stretches for miles. This time of year (October) was very quiet , practically empty. A calm sea full of ships and fishing boats. I fell asleep on the grassy dunes, so I only have a few photos before dark.

Reviews last updated: 7 October 2026