Balmedie: Dunes, Beach and Coastal History

Balmedie combines an extensive coastal landscape with a range of distinctly different ways to spend a day on holiday: dunes and beach, paths through the Country Park, historic traces and opportunities for shared exploration. Those looking for an apartment or house for their holiday can therefore assess the area according to their preferred travel style – with nature experiences, family activities or golf at the centre.

Balmedie’s Dunes and Beach

The dunes of Balmedie form part of a 15-mile dune system of local and national importance. In addition, there is an exceptionally long and wide beach with clean, golden sand, bordered by grass-covered dunes. Balmedie Beach has received the Keep Scotland Beautiful Seaside Award for cleanliness, the quality of its facilities and good management.

The 1,700-metre boardwalk is a particularly distinctive feature for getting your bearings locally. From the main car park, it provides access to a dune landscape overlooking Balmedie Beach. Balmedie Country Park also has five recommended routes. Those who want to experience the landscape not only by the water but also along paths can take this selection into account when planning their day.

Paths, Information and Special Beach Services

The Sand Bothy provides visitors with information about Balmedie Country Park, its flora and fauna, and the surrounding area. This makes it possible to combine a trip into the dunes with a closer exploration of the landscape. Cyclists and walkers can also use routes connecting Balmedie with nearby coastal villages. This option appeals to travellers who do not want to limit their stay to a single stretch of beach.

A particularly useful service is Balmedie Beach Wheelchairs. The initiative offers people with reduced mobility or disabilities that prevent them from enjoying the beach a range of beach wheelchairs to borrow free of charge. Balmedie Beach Wheelchairs is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 noon to 3 p.m. from April to October. If this service is important for your travel plans, you should take the stated hours into account when planning your day at the beach.

Historic Traces in the Dunes

The coast also has a historical side. A historic ice house still stands in the dunes of Balmedie, while four pillboxes have also been preserved on the beach. There is also the history of salmon fishing, which was a widespread occupation along this coast in the 19th and 20th centuries. These individual clues make the beach and dunes interesting for visitors who enjoy connecting landscapes with regional history.

Activities for Different Holiday Days

Balmedie has a treasure trail that takes around an hour and includes six clues hidden around the village. For families with children, this can become a discovery activity in its own right during their stay; the play areas in Balmedie Country Park provide another specific point of interest. Those with other interests can also find the two championship golf courses of Trump International Golf Links, Scotland, in Balmedie.

When choosing accommodation, therefore, it is less a question of following one fixed holiday programme than of deciding which experiences you want to combine. A holiday apartment in Balmedie is a suitable search option for a stay shaped by the beach, dunes, Country Park and the services available in the village. If you also want to plan routes to nearby coastal villages or a round of golf, you can take these interests into account in your further travel planning.

More Destinations for Your Travel Planning

If you would like to compare other places for your travel planning alongside Balmedie, you can also find Hatton of Fintray, Auchenblae, Newburgh, Inverbervie, New Aberdour, Port Elphinstone, Kintore and Strichen here.

For the higher-level travel overview: Aberdeenshire.