Aden loves animals, and animals really love Aden! We have a range of great facilities aimed at dogs, horses and their owners.

For our canine friends we have a purpose built dog agility area where the handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy – great fun for those with obedient and playful dogs!

On lead, Aden also offers numerous walking routes to explore, off lead; Aden offers a large dog exercise area where man’s best friend can break free.

Dogs should be under proper control at all times. In the park environment, this means the dog should have instant recall or be on a short lead. This protects our wildlife, respects other visitors and helps to keep your dog safe. You can find out information about being a responsible countryside dog walker here.

To help encourage responsible ownership please visit the Aberdeenshire Council Dogs page for more details, and feel free to download the Control of Dogs leaflet below.

Remember, owning a dog can bring great enjoyment but it is also a lifelong responsibility. A dog needs to be cared for properly and responsibly, which includes staying within the law and not allowing your dog to become a nuisance to other people.

Keeping your dog safe

Dog walks in Aden Country Park can be a wonderful experience and there is nothing better than exploring with your four-legged friend by your side. Here’s a few things to think about before heading out to ensure you and your dog are prepared and can have a safe, enjoyable and memorable adventure:

• If you are visiting an area you are not familiar with, take extra care to keep your dog in sight and under close control, if in doubt walk them on a lead. Nobody wants their dog to get lost or to run into a dangerous situation.
• Keep a tick tool handy. Ticks are small (1mm – 1cm) biting bugs that attach to your dog’s skin (and humans too!), check your dog for ticks after your walk and remove any you find using a tick tool. Find more ticks on dogs advice here.
• Be aware that adders can be found in Aden Country Park. Adders are relatively small, stocky snakes, generally grey or reddish brown in colour, with a darker and very distinct zig-zag pattern down their backs. The Adder is Britain’s only venomous snake, but its poison is generally of little danger to humans. An Adder bite can be very painful and cause a nasty inflammation, but is generally only dangerous to the very young, ill or old.  Although rare, dogs can be bitten by adders, usually when a snake is stepped on or disturbed. Adder bites can be very serious; ensure you know what to do in case your dog gets bitten and always take them to a vet as soon as possible. Find more advice on dogs and adders here.

For our equestrian lovers, Aden has an enclosed horse arena, which each year hosts a wide variety of equestrian practice, events, and competitions. If you want to book this, or any other areas of Aden for a private or public event please visit our Book A Visit page.

The Scottish Outdoor Access Code

In Scotland, you can go on to most land to enjoy the outdoors – as long as you behave responsibly. When you are enjoying the outdoors, you must follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

The Scottish Outdoor Access code is based on three principles:

• Respect the interests of others.

• Care for the environment.

• Take responsibility for your own actions.

Horse Riding

Access rights extend to horse riding. Riding on firm or hard surfaces, such as wide paths and tracks and well-drained ground, causes few problems. On narrow routes, horse riding may cause problems for other people, such as walkers and cyclists. If this occurs, take extra care by giving way to walkers where possible or by looking for an alternative route.

If you are riding off-path, particularly in winter, take care to avoid:

• going onto wet, boggy or soft ground, and
• churning up the surface.

Take care not to alarm farm animals and wildlife, particularly if you go round a field margin. Do not go into fields where there are grazing horses or animals that might be a danger.

For more information on the Scottish Outdoor Access Code click the button below.