Best Local Dog Walks in Aberdeen

Aberdeen isn’t the first city people think of for dog walks, but Figo and I have been genuinely impressed digging into it — the Granite City has proper parks, two local nature reserves right at the edges of the built-up area, and a two-mile sandy beach, all run by one Council with one clear set of rules to check rather than a different policy for every park. If your dog loves a splash rather than just a sniff along the sand, our guide to the best dog swimming spots in Aberdeen City covers the same beach’s bathing-water and exclusion-zone rules in more detail.

I’ve been strict with myself about what goes on this list. If I couldn’t find the current, official word on a spot’s dog rules — not a blog, not a forum post, but the Council’s own page — I’ve left it out rather than guess, even where the spot is well-loved locally.

Dog walks in Aberdeen

• Duthie Park — on Riverside Drive by the River Dee, one of Aberdeen’s best-loved parks, with the Winter Gardens, a boating pond and riverside paths. Covered by the Council’s Parks and Outdoor Areas Management Rules 2024: dogs must be under close control at all times, on a short lead or at heel near farm animals and during the nesting season (April to July) in woodland, grassland, moorland or at the seashore, with mess removed immediately and dogs kept off sports pitches in use. Source: Aberdeen City Council, Parks and Outdoor Areas Management Rules 2024.
• Hazlehead Park — on the western edge of the city, with woodland walks, golf courses and the popular Pets’ Corner. The same citywide park rules apply: close control throughout, lead or heel near farm animals and during the spring/summer nesting season in wooded or grassland areas, and dogs kept off sports pitches in use. Source: Aberdeen City Council, Parks and Outdoor Areas Management Rules 2024; Aberdeen City Council, Hazlehead Park.
• Seaton Park — by the River Don near Old Aberdeen, with riverside paths and formal gardens. Covered by the same rules in full: close control at all times, lead or heel near farm animals and during the April–July nesting season in grassland or woodland areas, and dogs kept away from sports pitches in use. Source: Aberdeen City Council, Parks and Outdoor Areas Management Rules 2024.
• Kincorth Hill Local Nature Reserve — a heathland and woodland hill managed by the Council’s Countryside Ranger Service, with good views over the city and the Dee estuary. Covered by the same park rules: close control throughout, with dogs on a short lead or at heel during the nesting season given the heath and woodland habitat. Source: Aberdeen City Council, Parks and Outdoor Areas Management Rules 2024; Aberdeen City Council, Outdoor Sites and Nature Reserves.
• Donmouth Local Nature Reserve — where the River Don meets the sea at the north end of Aberdeen beach, a reserve of dunes, grassland and estuary mudflats. The same rules apply, with the seashore/nesting-season lead rule particularly relevant given the ground-nesting birds on the estuary and dunes. One important safety note that isn’t a dog rule but matters for a walk here: the Council and local press have warned the mudflats can hide soft sand and quicksand-like conditions, so stick to the marked paths rather than letting a dog range onto the estuary mud. Sources: Aberdeen City Council, Parks and Outdoor Areas Management Rules 2024; Aberdeen City Council, Outdoor Sites and Nature Reserves; Evening Express, public warned against walking on Donmouth Nature Reserve amid quicksand fears.
• Aberdeen Beach and Esplanade — a two-mile sandy beach, Council-owned, so the same rules apply. The seashore is specifically flagged: dogs must be on a short lead or kept at heel during the nesting season (April to July), and under close control at all other times. The rules don’t set out a seasonal or year-round beach ban for dogs in Aberdeen, so check the Council’s own page for the latest position before you go, especially in summer. Source: Aberdeen City Council, Parks and Outdoor Areas Management Rules 2024.

What we left out, and why

Following the same honesty rule we’ve used for Manchester, London and the West Midlands, a couple of well-known Aberdeen dog walks didn’t make this list because we couldn’t verify current, official dog rules for them directly from the managing body:

• Tollohill Wood — a popular community woodland on the city’s southern edge, but neither the Woodland Trust’s page for the wood nor the Council’s nature reserves page gives any dog-specific rules for it. Until an official source confirms the rules here, we’ve left it out.
• Deeside Way — the old railway path running out from Aberdeen towards Banchory is hugely popular with dog walkers, and the Council’s Countryside Ranger Service has run events promoting responsible dog exercising on it. But we couldn’t find an official Council or Sustrans page setting out specific lead or control rules for the path itself, so we’ve excluded it for now rather than guess.

Before you go off-lead anywhere on this list

• Ground-nesting birds are most at risk from March to July, which is exactly why the nesting-season lead rule applies at Donmouth and along the seashore — a disturbed nest can mean a lost brood.
• Stick to the marked paths at Donmouth — the estuary mudflats can hide soft sand and quicksand-like conditions.
• Fenced play areas and sports pitches in use are off-limits to dogs across every Council park on this list — one of the few rules that’s genuinely consistent citywide.
• If you’re heading somewhere new and your dog tends to get unsettled by unfamiliar places, crowds or other dogs, it’s worth popping a calming treat in your pocket for the car journey or the first few minutes off the lead — we always have a packet of Calmdogs’ calming treats handy for exactly this with Figo.
• If your dog has a health condition that affects how far or how fast they should walk, have a chat with your vet about what’s sensible before you tackle somewhere new — our round-up of the best vets in Aberdeen City is a good place to start if you don’t already have one.

For more on exploring Aberdeen with your dog, see our Dog Services in Aberdeen hub, and our guide to secure dog fields near Aberdeen if your dog needs space away from other dogs.