When can I check in and check out of Deeside Activity Park?

Camping and touring Arrive: 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Depart by: 10 a.m. Read more

Deeside Activity Park

Wild camping on Royal Deeside (added by manager 23 Jun 2021)

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Wild camping at an outdoor activity centre five minutes from Aboyne
A 15-minute drive to Craigievar Castle; half an hour to Balmoral
Farm shop and restaurant on site; fishing, archery and go-karting

Off to the Aberdeenshire countryside in search of adventure? There’s plenty of that at Deeside Activity Park, five minutes’ drive from Aboyne. This is a place that’s packed with things to do, including days of quad biking, archery, clay shooting and go-kart racing… and all right there where you’re staying. Got your eye on some fishing while you’re in the area? The River Dee is just down the road for experienced anglers, and there’s a well-stocked loch on site too, where you can do some catch-and-release fishing, hire kit and take lessons from an expert ghillie to learn the essential techniques. The camping setup here has a sense of adventure about it, too: this is a wild camping park where you’ll need to forego many of the trappings of modern life (although you’ll have access to a chemical toilet and a firepit where you can have a go at building a campfire). Well-behaved dogs are welcome as long as they’re kept on a lead. All this activity requires a good amount of food, of course – and handily, that’s easy to source at this park. The on-site restaurant is open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch, and you can also pick up hot drinks and home-baked treats during the day. Rather stick to the alfresco approach? Bring along a barbecue and source supplied at the site’s farm shop, which is stocked with its own award-winning Aberdeen Angus beef (from the farm a mile and a half up the road) alongside local pork, sausages, fresh veg, eggs and little extras like local biscuits.

Site type

Open all year

Languages spoken

English

Features

Portable toilet

Pop-up campsite

Dogs allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house

Cycle hire

Evening entertainment

Fishing

Fitness centre

Games room

Indoor swimming pool

Kids' club

On-site restaurant/cafe

Outdoor swimming pool

Play area

TV room

Take away

Tennis

Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available

Car parking by pitch/unit

Composting toilet

Disabled facilities

Dog park

Drying room

Food shop

Free wifi

Ice pack freezing

Internet access

Launderette

Parent & baby washroom

Pick-up from public transport

Portable toilet

Pub toilets

Public telephone

Shower available

Toilet block

Washing-up area

Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly

Motorcycle friendly

Single-sex groups welcome

Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided

Barbecues allowed

Campfires allowed

Commercial vehicles allowed

Dogs allowed

Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Budget/backpacker

Spectacular scenery

Walkers' paradise

Wild camping

Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

No hot water

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Type

Pop-up campsite

Tiny (1-10 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Cycling nearby

Fishing nearby

Golf nearby

Horse riding nearby

Leisure/theme park nearby

Mountain biking nearby

Restaurant nearby

Location

Deeside Activity Park

Dess

Aboyne

Aberdeenshire

Scotland

AB34 5BD

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

57.10248°N
-2.71145°W

Nearest transport

Coach

23.3 mi Union Square Bus Station

24.2 mi Kirkburn Drive

25.2 mi Station Road

Rail

16.6 mi Insch Rail Station

16.7 mi Kintore Rail Station

18 mi Inverurie Rail Station

Ferry

23.5 mi Aberdeen Ferry Terminal

Airport

20.3 mi Aberdeen Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

More activity? You got it. Take a gentle stroll from the park along the surrounding woodland trails and down to the Dess Waterfall (15 minutes’ walk) or along to the Peel Ring of Lumphanan (half an hour), where Macbeth took his last stand. Craigievar Castle (15 minutes' drive) also makes a fine place for an amble, taking in the pink castle itself, its collections of art and armour, and a stroll along its wooded paths. There are more trails to wander along at Glen Tanar Estate (15 minutes), and at the royal family’s holiday home Balmoral Castle (half an hour) – both are also good places to ride bikes or saddle up for horse riding. For something more challenging, take an uphill route at Lochnagar (45 minutes), the area’s tallest munro, or the mountain bike courses at Tarland Trails (15 minutes). Need a little drink after all the excitement? Lost Loch Spirits is just next door for tours, tastings and spirit school experiences or it’s a half-hour drive to the Royal Lochnagar Distillery for top-notch whisky.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name	Distance	Type	2020	2019	2018	2017
Stonehaven	21.3 mi	Sea	N/A	Good	Good	Good
Aberdeen	24.1 mi	Sea	N/A	Good	Good	N/A
Balmedie	27.5 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Montrose	28.7 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Carnegie Museum 17.8 mi

Balmoral Castle 19.6 mi

Duthie Park Winter Gardens 23 mi

Aberdeen Maritime Museum 23.3 mi

Braemar Castle 26.2 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Kincardine O'Neil - Dess Waterfall - Aboyne 1.7 mi

Lumphanan - Tullochvenus circular 1.9 mi

Lumphanan - Kincardine O'Neil Hill Route 2 mi

Aboyne, Dess and Mortlich Hill 3 mi

Shooting Greens, River Dee and views of the Feugh Valley 5.9 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Reviews

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Does Deeside Activity Park have a swimming pool? No View all features
Is Deeside Activity Park dog friendly? Yes View all features
What attractions are near Deeside Activity Park? More activity? You got it. Take a gentle stroll from the park along the surrounding woodland trails and down to the Dess Waterfall (15 minutes’ walk) or along to the Peel Ring … Read more
When can I check in and check out of Deeside Activity Park?

Camping and touring

Arrive: 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Depart by: 10 a.m.

Read more