Discover Kincardine O'Neil

Kincardine O'Neil combines short walking routes, traces of history and craft discoveries to create a varied destination. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday cottage can include peaceful paths, longer excursions, culture and cycling opportunities in their plans, depending on their interests.

Walking routes for different day plans

For a manageable excursion, the circular route to St Erchard’s Well is a good option. It is approximately 1.1 km long, takes around 30 minutes and is rated moderate. This makes it possible to plan a short period outdoors without setting aside the entire day for a hike. Another option is the Riverside Walk: this route is approximately 1.3 km long, takes around 35 minutes and is considered easy.

The Heugh Head Circular, at 2 km in length, with a duration of one hour and a moderate difficulty rating, is another possibility. The information on distance, time and rating helps you choose the right route for each day of your trip.

Longer routes and cycling opportunities

For a more active day, the circular route to Dess Waterfall covers approximately 7.0 km. It involves around 170 m of ascent and takes approximately 2.5 hours. The route is therefore particularly suitable for travel plans that deliberately make room for a longer hike. Take the distance, ascent and time into account when planning your day.

The Deeside Way is also part of the range of active pursuits. It runs for more than 2½ miles through the Kincardine Estate in the Kincardine O'Neil area. There are also cycling opportunities around the village: the range extends from flat paths and quiet country roads to routes through mountains, heathland and forests. This means you can either focus your trip on walks and hikes or plan cycling as a separate priority.

History and crafts in Kincardine O'Neil

The development of Kincardine O'Neil was connected with the river crossings over the River Dee. The village was the site of the first bridge over the River Dee, making the historical importance of the crossings particularly tangible. The cultural history also includes the site of the former church and hospital of Kincardine O'Neil, which is designated as a Scheduled Monument.

Kincardine O'Neil Old Parish Church is thought to have been built around 1330. Christ Church in Kincardine O'Neil has stained-glass windows, providing another cultural point of interest. Those interested in church art, local history and historic buildings can combine these themes with walks and excursions.

A special addition is ARRA Textiles. Limited-edition one-off pieces are handwoven in the Studio Gallery in Kincardine O'Neil. You can also watch the loom at work in the studio. This insight into the manufacturing process is distinctly different from a hike and makes Kincardine O'Neil interesting for travellers who would like to discover local crafts alongside the landscape.

Guidance for choosing your accommodation

When looking for accommodation, you can first consider which experiences should shape your holiday: short routes, a longer hike, cycling, historic places or a visit to ARRA Textiles. A holiday apartment in Kincardine O'Neil provides a suitable starting point for further personal planning, without every day having to follow the same pattern. For information about the surrounding area, walking brochures are available at the Telephone Kiosk in Kincardine O'Neil, which serves as an information point.

Other places for planning your trip

If you would like to compare other destinations in addition to Kincardine O'Neil, you can also visit the pages for Ballater, Gourdon, Milltimber, Huntly, Stonehaven, Mintlaw, Turriff and Inverallochy.

For the higher-level travel overview: Aberdeenshire.