Alongside the many park facilities and features, Aden has a network of paths which are ideal for walking, jogging, cycling, or somewhere to exercise your four-legged friend. Whatever your interest, we love it when our visitors fully explore the more remote areas of the park.

A “Trails at Aden Country Park” leaflet has been designed to both encourage and help people to navigate the park’s many trails, providing opportunities to engage in Aden’s built, natural, and archaeological heritage, and the story of farming in the North East of Scotland. 

The five different trails supported by the “Trails at Aden Country Park” leaflet include the Aden Archaeology Trail, Aden Estate Trail, Agricultural Heritage Trail, Aden Nature Trail, and the Aden Tree Trail.

A “Trails at Aden Country Park” leaflet can either be picked up in the park from either the Visitor Information Centre, Aden Craft & Gift Shop, or from the Aberdeenshire Farming Museum. Alternatively you can download the leaflet by clicking on the button below. Please be aware the downloadable leaflet is 32MB in size. 

Aden Archaeology Trail

With the support from local schools, groups, students, and volunteers, a series of community-based archaeological research, excavation, and evaluation has been undertaken in Aden Country Park. These archaeological investigations have not only helped to identify previously unknown sites of archaeological interest, but also expand the story of life on Aden over thousands of years.

The Aden Archaeology Trail will guide visitors to the fascinating T-Shaped Post Reformation Chapel & Rectangular Manse Remains, the Neolithic Site, onto the Aden Mansion House, finishing at the two Late 19th & Early 20th Century Trench related sites.

The Aden Archaeology Trail is a self-guided trail which provides a fascinating insight into these five significant sites of archaeological interest in Aden Country Park. Once you arrive at each site, you will find an interpretation panel which provides further insights, and QR codes for further reading.

For further information about the archaeological sites in Aden Country Park please click on the button below.

Aden Estate Trail

Aden Country Park’s present-day appearance dates predominately from the ownership of the Russell family, who made a range of farming and estate improvements during their tenure, from 1758 through to 1937.

During this period the Aden Mansion House was redesigned in the neo-classical style by Aberdeen architect John Smith. Estate improvements continued with the construction of the unique semi-circular farm steading buildings, gate lodges, laundry, gasworks, and ice house. The grounds were also redesigned, specimen trees planted, and hothouses created.

The Aden Estate Trail is a self-guided trail which has been designed to provide an intriguing insight into what life would have been like on the Aden Estate. On arriving at each feature, you will find an interpretation panel which provides further details, and QR codes for further reading.

For further information about the park history and estate landscape please click on the buttons below.

Agricultural Heritage Trail

Long famed for high quality Aberdeen-Angus cattle, the North East contains a quarter of Scotland’s arable land and consequently farming is an essential feature of rural life.

The Agricultural Heritage Trail is a guided trail which focuses on farming life in the North East of Scotland. The trail ties in a visit to Hareshowe Farm and is marked with Corten steel posts incorporating images from the James Morrison Photographic Collection. Morrison’s work provides a remarkable record of daily life in rural Aberdeenshire and these prints are taken from a group of over 600 glass plate negatives created between 1890 and 1915.

The Agricultural Heritage Trail has been designed to provide an intriguing insight into rural farming life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At each feature you will find an interpretation panel, coupled with QR codes for further reading.

For further information about the Agricultural Heritage Trail and Farming Heritage please click on the buttons below.

Aden Nature Trail

Aden Country Park attracts an array of different wildlife throughout the year. With its informal woodland, managed parkland, arboretums, wildflower meadows, lake and secluded gardens, Aden’s varied landscape contributes to the unique biodiversity of species that it attracts.

Whether it’s the wide variety of nesting and migrating birds, wealth of aquatic and land invertebrates, amphibians, and mammals, the resident but secretive roe deer, or summer migrants such as osprey, Aden is an important natural environment in the North East of Scotland.

The Aden Nature Trail is a guided trail with wooden posts, interpretation panels, rubbing plaques, and QR codes for further reading. Before you set off, be sure to pick up some paper and a pencil/crayon from the Visitor Information Centre, Aden Shop, or from the Aberdeenshire Farming Museum for taking rubbings.

For further information about the Aden Nature Trail and Aden’s natural history please click on the buttons below.

Aden Tree Trail

Aden Country Park is home to a wide variety of native and non-native trees. The Aden Tree Trail guides visitors around ten different species, including a selection in the Victorian Arboretum. Dating from the 1830’s when tree and plant collecting was at its height, Caroline Lambton, the wife of the fourth laird of Aden, is said to have redesigned the Aden Estate grounds, planting specimen trees, and creating landscaped gardens.

Today, the Aden Tree Trail is a popular trail which has been designed to help visitors explore the park, discover interesting tree specimens, encourage learning, and increase knowledge and understanding of tree species identification.

The Aden Tree Trail is a guided trail with numbered wooden posts. We hope you enjoy the trail and the legacy that Caroline has left for future generations to enjoy.

For further information about Aden’s natural history please click on the button below.

Wheelie Fun Tours

Wheelie Fun are a family run business located in Udny Green, Ellon, Aberdeenshire. Wheelie Fun are the first mobile activity company in the UK to offer kids electric driving & riding activities sessions. Wheelie Fun offer Segway tours at Aden Country Park. The tours take visitors around the park and educate visitors on the park history whilst riding the segways.

Wheelie Fun Tours can be booked by visiting wheelie fun aberdeenshire