Stonehaven’s lively community wood is full of surprises and stories about the Kennedy family who once lived in Dunnottar House. Walk directly into the woodland from the town and quickly lose yourself in history and nature.
In summer the forest is vibrant, green and speckled with wildflowers. In autumn crunchy beech, ash and sycamore leaves carpet the ground — great for tramping through.
Dunnottar Woods are on the south side of Stonehaven. You can walk to the woods from the town, using a number of entrances between Carron Gardens and Woodcot Brae: it’s a short, steep climb into the woods.
There is a car park at the south end of the forest off the A957 (a continuation of Dunnottar Avenue, if travelling from Stonehaven town). Turn onto the unclassified road just north of the junction with the A92 dual carriagway. The car park is 20m along the road on the right.
At the round tower at the corner of the wall the shell house can be seen down to the right - turn right, down some steps, to reach it. This tiny domed building has its internal walls decorated by being completely covered with different shells. Like the bath it is thought to have been built on the instruction of Lady Kennedy. Continue on the path beyond the shell house, keeping right at a fork. The path now continues through the woods across the slope, just below the level of an open field up to the left, but above the burn. Eventually the path nears the houses of Stonehaven and there is a flight of wooden steps on the left - turn left up these steps and turn right at the top, following a path now running along by the edge of the field and woods.