20 Attractions to Explore Near Loch of Skene

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Drum Castle - Garden & Estate

Drum Castle - Garden & Estate

6.94km from Loch of Skene

Drum Castle is a castle near Drumoak in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. For centuries it was the seat of the chief of Clan Irvine. The place-name Drum is derived from Gaelic druim, 'ridge'. The site is located approximately 6+1⁄2 miles northeast of Banchory and 3 miles west of Peterculter. The property is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is open to the public.

Castle Fraser, Garden & Estate

Castle Fraser, Garden & Estate

8.16km from Loch of Skene

Castle Fraser is the most elaborate Z-plan castle in Scotland and one of the grandest 'Castles of Mar'. It is located near Kemnay in the Aberdeenshire region of Scotland. The castle stands in over 300 acres of landscaped grounds, woodland and farmland which includes a walled kitchen garden of the 19th century. From the striking simplicity of the medieval Great Hall to the well-stocked library and Victorian bedrooms, a tour of the castle gives a sense of walking through history.

The Den & The Glen

The Den & The Glen

10.82km from Loch of Skene

The Den and the Glen is a children's park in Maryculter, Scotland, near the city of Aberdeen. It is best known for its disformed and off-looking models of various fairytale characters, as well as some more modern characters such as Shrek and Postman Pat. The most well known statue is of Barney The Dinosaur, which became an internet meme with the caption "cha cha real smooth". It has been rated a 4-star visitor attraction by the Scottish Tourist Board.

Blairs Museum

Blairs Museum

11.64km from Loch of Skene

Blairs Museum is home of the Scottish Catholic Heritage Collection. Located in Aberdeen, Blairs Museum provides an insight into Scotland’s Catholic heritage, with collections spanning over 500 years. See paintings, church textiles, Jacobite memorabilia, and the stunning Mary Queen of Scots Memorial Portrait. It was one of the iconic attractions in this area.

Crathes Castle

Crathes Castle

11.76km from Loch of Skene

Crathes Castle is one of the most impressive castles in Scotland. With its classic Scottish tower house design, featuring a jumble of cone-roofed turrets, ramparts, and towers, there’s something pleasantly Disneyesque about Crathes Castle, which is magnified by its faintly pink harled exterior. This harled castle was built by the Burnetts of Leys and was held in that family for almost 400 years. The castle and grounds are owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland and are open to the

East Aquhorthies Stone Circle

East Aquhorthies Stone Circle

14.43km from Loch of Skene

East Aquhorthies Stone Circle is a recumbent stone circle – a monument type only found in north-east Scotland. It has a large stone set on its side and flanked by two upright stones, usually on the south or south-west part of the circle. The circle is particularly notable for its builders' use of polychromy in the stones, with the reddish ones situated on the SSW side and the grey ones opposite. The discovery of a possible cist covered by a capstone at the centre of the circle indicates that th

Bennachie Visitor Centre

Bennachie Visitor Centre

16.75km from Loch of Skene

The Bennachie Visitor Centre is the ideal starting point to explore the Bennachie forest and hill range. Learn about the history of the hill, its wildlife and the people that have called it home. There's an extensive network of paths to explore - from a 15 minute woodland stroll to an all day hike over the moorland hill tops.

Scolty Hill

Scolty Hill

17.08km from Loch of Skene

Scolty Hill is a small hill south of the Deeside town, Banchory. Its best known feature is the 20m tall tower monument, built in 1840 as a memorial to General William Burnett who fought alongside Wellington. The tower was restored in 1992 and a viewing platform added by the Rotary Club of Banchory-Ternan. It enjoys splendid views over Banchory, the Dee Valley and the Grampian Mountains, which surround the hill. This encourages thousands of visitors each year. It is popular for tourists, locals a

Bennachie

Bennachie

18.97km from Loch of Skene

Bennachie is a range of hills in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It has several tops, the highest of which, Oxen Craig, has a height of 528 metres. Though not particularly high, compared to other peaks within Scotland, the mountain is very prominent, owing to its isolation and the relative flatness of the surrounding terrain, and dominates the skyline from several viewpoints. It was one of the nice trekking destination and also you can have so many adventures too.

Kincardine Castle

Kincardine Castle

19.8km from Loch of Skene

Kincardine Castle is a Victorian country house in Royal Deeside, Scotland. Formerly known as Kincardine House, it is private home which also operates as a hospitality venue. The house sits 1 kilometre north-east of the village of Kincardine O'Neil, and 8 kilometres east of Aboyne on the north side of the River Dee, Aberdeenshire.

Balmedie Beach

Balmedie Beach

21.74km from Loch of Skene

One of Scotland's longest beaches it stretches south for 14 miles from the mouth of the River Ythan to the River Don at Aberdeen. The easiest place to reach the beach is from the Balmedie Country Park, 8 miles north of Aberdeen and signposted off the A90. Here there is an attractive cark park, picnic area and play park. Boardwalk paths lead through the sand dunes to the beach.

Loanhead of Daviot Stone Circle

Loanhead of Daviot Stone Circle

21.79km from Loch of Skene

Loanhead Stone Circle is one of the best examples of a monument type known as a recumbent stone circle. These monuments are only found in north-east Scotland. They’re defined by a ring of upright stones, with a massive stone slab laid on its side between two upright pillar stones – usually in the south-west arc of the circle. The recumbent setting is at the south-south-west of the circle but the recumbent stone itself is angled somewhat towards the south.

Craigievar Castle

Craigievar Castle

21.95km from Loch of Skene

Craigievar Castle is a picturesque fortified tower house in Aberdeenshire, said to be the inspiration for the fairytale Disney castle. The setting is among scenic rolling foothills of the Grampian Mountains, and the contrast of its massive lower storey structure to the finely sculpted multiple turrets, gargoyles and high corbelling work to create a classic fairytale appearance. It was the seat of Clan Sempill and the Forbes family resided here for 350 years until 1963.

Balmedie Beach

Balmedie Beach

22.18km from Loch of Skene

Balmedie is a flat sandy beach with sand dunes to the rear of the beach. At the back of the beach is a substantial area of sand dunes, where the principal vegetation is marram grass, but also contains a range of other plants at home in this type of environment.

Grampian Transport Museum

Grampian Transport Museum

22.53km from Loch of Skene

Grampian Transport Museum is a transport museum and charitable-based trust located in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Its exhibits chart the history of transport in the north east of Scotland through dramatic displays, working and climb-aboard vehicle exhibits and video presentations. Major exhibits include the world's oldest Sentinel Steam Waggon from 1914, a giant Mack Snowplow and a working model of Robert Davidson's motor for electric traction.

Stonehaven Open Air Pool

Stonehaven Open Air Pool

22.7km from Loch of Skene

Stonehaven Open Air Swimming Pool, Queen Elizabeth Park, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, is an Olympic sized heated open air public pool opened in 1934. It is the northernmost lido in the UK.This 55 yard x 20 yard open air pool is the UK's only art deco Olympic sized sea water lido. The water is heated and the pool is open from late May to early September. There is a Leisure Centre with indoor swimming pool next door. Other facilities include a paddling pool and a cafe.

Tolquhon Castle

Tolquhon Castle

22.92km from Loch of Skene

Tolquhon Castle is a substantial ruinous courtyard castle with a large tower and some fantastic stone carving on the gatehouse, held by the Preston family and then by the Forbeses, in a quiet spot near Tarves in Aberdeenshire in northeast Scotland. The castle was built by William Forbes, 7th Laird of Tolquhon, between 1584 and 1589 as an extension to the earlier tower house known as Preston's Tower. Although ruined, the castle has been described as "the most characteristic château of the Scots R

Tolquhon Gallery

Tolquhon Gallery

22.96km from Loch of Skene

Danny and Joan Ross opened the award-winning gallery in rural Aberdeenshire in 1987. They celebrate and promote Scottish art, showing the best emerging artists as well as established modern masters. Several hundred artists are represented by the gallery. All are carefully selected by Danny and Joan, who are always on hand and happy to discuss the work of any artist.

Stonehaven Beach

Stonehaven Beach

23.18km from Loch of Skene

Stonehaven Bay is the perfect setting for a great day out. At just over one kilometer in length, the half-moon shaped bay features a busy working harbour, rocky outcrops towards the north and the sandy stretch towards the south, ideal for sunbathers. This particular beach is popular with watersports enthusiasts.

Tolbooth Museum

Tolbooth Museum

23.68km from Loch of Skene

The Tolbooth Museum is housed in the former wardhouse, or prison for Aberdeen, a unique complex of 17th and 18th century gaol cells. It first opened to the public as a museum in 1995. Featured displays deal with local history and the evolution of crime and punishment over the centuries. The museum's unique atmosphere and gaol cells provide a striking visitor experience and a real insight into imprisonment and the treatment of prisoners and rebel Jacobites in times gone by.

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Know more about Loch of Skene

Loch of Skene

Loch of Skene

Loch of Skene, Westhill AB32, UK

This large freshwater loch is located near Dunecht and Kirkton of Skene in Aberdeenshire. It's a very picturesque area with the loch surrounded by attractive woodland and reedbeds. It's great for wildlife too with concentrations of wildfowl in autumn and winter in particular greylag geese, goldeneye ducks and pink-footed geese. Common gulls and otters are also found on the loch.