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Crathes Castle, Garden and Estate, Banchory

Companionship careAberdeenshire

Days out in Aberdeenshire for an older parent

Ten places in Aberdeenshire that make a good day out for an older parent, from Crathes Castle, Garden and Estate to Leith Hall Garden and Estate. For each one: what its own access information confirms, what it costs, how long to allow, and the carers nearby who drive and could take them.

Researched by PrimeCarers from each place’s own website and access information  ·  Updated October 2026

Crathes Castle, Garden and Estate. Photo: Watty62, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ten days out across ten towns

The best places to take an older parent in Aberdeenshire

Eight of them are free to visit or to walk around. The access information for six confirm an accessible toilet. Where a place does not publish its access, we say so.

Crathes Castle, Garden and Estate, Banchory

Photo: Watty62, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Castle · Banchory

Crathes Castle, Garden and Estate

Crathes is a 16th century tower house near Banchory, cared for by the National Trust for Scotland, with painted ceilings inside and a walled garden of yew hedges and colourful borders. The wider estate has woodland trails, and the Courtyard Café and shop sit at the top of the drive.

The disabled car park is next to the Courtyard Café with level access to its entrance, and the walled garden has gravel and stone slab paths, although the castle itself sits downhill and only its ground floor is step-free.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free outside, paid inside

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Haddo House, Ellon

Photo: Fionam890, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Historic house · Ellon

Haddo House

Haddo House is an elegant Georgian mansion near Tarves, a few miles from Ellon, with Victorian interiors shown on guided tours and terraced gardens in front. The house sits within a large country park with a lake, woodland paths and open lawns.

There is Blue Badge parking in three places around the estate and an accessible toilet in each of the Trust buildings, and cars can drop passengers at the front of the house, although the gravel paths can be bumpy for a wheelchair.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free outside, paid inside

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Fyvie Castle, Turriff

Photo: Anne Burgess, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Castle · Turriff

Fyvie Castle

Fyvie Castle is a Scottish Baronial fortress south of Turriff whose rooms hold armour, antiques and a large collection of portraits. Outside there is a walled garden, a lake with a lochside walk and a restored glass-roofed racquets court.

There is a Blue Badge space a few metres from the castle door and another beside the tearoom, and the estate paths are mostly level, though a wheelchair user can only go as far as the entrance hall inside the castle.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free outside, paid inside

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Castle Fraser, Kemnay

Photo: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Castle · Kemnay

Castle Fraser

Castle Fraser is a large Z-plan tower house between Kemnay and Sauchen, with a walled garden and woodland walks across its estate. Inside, the rooms spread over six floors, and there is a shop and tearoom on the ground floor off the courtyard.

A dedicated Blue Badge car park sits 18 metres from the castle door and the walled garden has fairly level paths reached without steps, so a carer can plan a garden walk and a tearoom stop even if the upper floors are out of reach.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free outside, paid inside

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Blue Badge parking
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, Fraserburgh

Photo: Ralph Greig, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Fraserburgh

Museum of Scottish Lighthouses

The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses at Kinnaird Head in Fraserburgh holds the national collection of lighthouse lenses, lamps and stories of the keepers and engineers. Guided tours climb the old lighthouse, which was built into a 16th century castle on the headland.

The museum galleries are served by a stair lift and there are disabled toilets on site, and anyone who cannot manage the lighthouse steps can choose a museum-only visit.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Accessible toilet

Their websiteAccess information

Aden Country Park, Mintlaw

Photo: Bill Harrison, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Park · Mintlaw

Aden Country Park

Aden Country Park near Mintlaw is a former estate of woodland, lake and open parkland with a network of footpaths, a café and the Aberdeenshire Farming Museum in its old farm buildings. The ruins of Aden House and the semicircular farm steading are easy landmarks for a gentle walk.

The park has disabled parking bays near the courtyard, a new toilet block with disabled and Changing Places toilets, and a café, so a short walk can start and finish close to the facilities.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free

What their access information confirms

  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Duff House, Banff

Photo: LornaMCampbell, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gallery · Banff

Duff House

Duff House is a Georgian mansion designed by William Adam on the edge of Banff, now a country house gallery showing paintings, furniture and tapestries from the National Galleries of Scotland. The grounds run down to the River Deveron, with a woodland walk to the Fife Gates.

Accessible parking is behind the house over level paving, a lift reaches all upper floors, and two wheelchairs can be borrowed, which makes it one of the easier historic houses in the area for someone who tires quickly.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Wheelchairs to borrow
  • Blue Badge parking

Their websiteAccess information

Stonehaven harbour and seafront, Stonehaven

Photo: Stephen McKay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coast · Stonehaven

Stonehaven harbour and seafront

Stonehaven's old harbour is lined with cafés, fish restaurants and ice cream shops, and a promenade runs north along the bay beside the beach. The Tolbooth, the town's oldest building, stands on the quay.

The harbour front and promenade are short and mostly flat, so a carer can park nearby and plan a gentle stroll with a café stop rather than the steeper clifftop path to Dunnottar.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Ballater and the Old Royal Station, Ballater

Photo: Stanley Howe, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Market town · Ballater

Ballater and the Old Royal Station

Ballater is a Victorian village on the River Dee, a few miles from Balmoral, with a green, royal warrant shops and tearooms. The rebuilt Old Royal Station in the centre holds a visitor information centre, a tearoom, the library and a replica of Queen Victoria's waiting room and carriage.

The village centre is compact and flat around the green, so a carer can plan a short walk between the station, the shops and a tearoom without long distances.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Leith Hall Garden and Estate, Huntly

Photo: Anne Burgess, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Garden · Huntly

Leith Hall Garden and Estate

Leith Hall is a country house near Kennethmont, south of Huntly, set in a large estate with a walled garden known for its borders and rock garden. Waymarked trails lead through woodland and past ponds, and the hall itself holds collections from the Leith-Hay family.

There are two Blue Badge spaces about 20 metres from the hall and an accessible toilet on site, so a carer can keep the walking short and stay near the house.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free outside, paid inside

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking

Their websiteAccess information

Regular groups and events in Aberdeenshire

Something to go back to every week or every year, from our research into what older people enjoy doing in Aberdeenshire.

  • Music · StonehavenStonehaven Folk FestivalA long-running July folk festival with concerts in the town hall plus informal sessions and singarounds in pubs and around the harbour, many of them free. A carer can book a seated concert or simply sit in on a free session, keeping the day short and close to the car.Details
  • Reading · BanchoryBanchory Library events and reading groupsOne of the Live Life Aberdeenshire libraries, running regular drop-in groups and bookable events such as talks and author visits alongside normal borrowing. A carer can help choose large print or audio titles and stay for a session so the trip is social as well as practical.Details
  • Sports · BraemarThe Braemar GatheringThe best known Highland games in Scotland, held at Braemar each September with heavy events, pipe bands, running and dancing. A carer can book seated tickets in advance and use the parking arrangements so watching does not mean standing all day.Details
  • VolunteeringAberdeenshire Voluntary Action volunteering supportThe county's third sector interface, which lists volunteering opportunities across Aberdeenshire and supports people into roles with local charities and community groups. A carer can go through the listings together, look for something an hour or two a week nearby and provide the transport.Details
  • Knitting · HuntlyHuntly Library Knit and NatterA regular knitting and chat session in the meeting room of the Brander Building library in Huntly. A carer can book a space, mention any access needs to library staff in advance and stay alongside for the first few visits.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Aberdeenshire

At a glance

The ten places side by side

What each place’s own access information confirms. “Ask” means it does not say, not that it is missing.

PlaceTimeCostStep-freeToiletCafé
Crathes Castle, Garden and EstateBanchoryhalf a dayFree outside, paid insidePartlyYesYes
Haddo HouseEllonhalf a dayFree outside, paid insidePartlyYesYes
Fyvie CastleTurriffhalf a dayFree outside, paid insidePartlyYesYes
Castle FraserKemnayhalf a dayFree outside, paid insidePartlyAskYes
Museum of Scottish LighthousesFraserburghan hour or twoPaid entryAskYesAsk
Aden Country ParkMintlawhalf a dayFreeAskYesYes
Duff HouseBanffan hour or twoPaid entryAskAskAsk
Stonehaven harbour and seafrontStonehavenan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Ballater and the Old Royal StationBallaterhalf a dayFreeAskAskAsk
Leith Hall Garden and EstateHuntlyan hour or twoFree outside, paid insidePartlyYesAsk

Where the places are in Aberdeenshire

The county’s boundary, numbered as on this page, with the main towns for reference.

PortlethenHuntlyEllonLaurencekirkPeterhead12345678910
  1. 1Crathes Castle, Garden and Estate, Banchory
  2. 2Haddo House, Ellon
  3. 3Fyvie Castle, Turriff
  4. 4Castle Fraser, Kemnay
  5. 5Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, Fraserburgh
  6. 6Aden Country Park, Mintlaw
  7. 7Duff House, Banff
  8. 8Stonehaven harbour and seafront, Stonehaven
  9. 9Ballater and the Old Royal Station, Ballater
  10. 10Leith Hall Garden and Estate, Huntly

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Aberdeenshire

Carers in Aberdeenshire charge £18 to £25 an hour through PrimeCarers, typically £20, with our fee included. A four-hour outing is about £80 for the carer’s time. Entry, food and parking are extra, and travel costs are only payable if you agree them with the carer in advance, in writing. The cost of home care in Aberdeenshire has the full figures.

Photographs on this page are from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each one.

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Aberdeenshire

Crathes Castle, Garden and Estate in Banchory, Haddo House in Ellon, Fyvie Castle in Turriff, Castle Fraser in Kemnay, Museum of Scottish Lighthouses in Fraserburgh, Aden Country Park in Mintlaw, Duff House in Banff, Stonehaven harbour and seafront in Stonehaven, Ballater and the Old Royal Station in Ballater and Leith Hall Garden and Estate in Huntly. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

Crathes Castle, Garden and Estate, Haddo House, Fyvie Castle, Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, Aden Country Park and Leith Hall Garden and Estate have an accessible toilet. Duff House lends wheelchairs. Access changes, so ring ahead about anything your parent depends on.

Crathes Castle, Garden and Estate (outside free, inside paid), Haddo House (outside free, inside paid), Fyvie Castle (outside free, inside paid), Castle Fraser (outside free, inside paid), Aden Country Park, Stonehaven harbour and seafront, Ballater and the Old Royal Station and Leith Hall Garden and Estate (outside free, inside paid). Parking is often charged even where entry is free.

Yes. A companion carer can drive your parent there, walk at their pace, help with the toilet and meals, and bring them home. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £20 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Aberdeenshire shows who is available.

Often. Many attractions let a carer or companion in free, or at a reduced price, with a disabled visitor, and some ask for proof such as a letter or a benefit award. It varies, so check each place’s access or prices page before you go.

Companionship care in the counties around Aberdeenshire

Days out in the areas around Aberdeenshire

Companionship care by town in Aberdeenshire

Each town page shows the carers who list it as home, with their rates and reviews.

Find a carer who could take them out in Aberdeenshire

See carers near Aberdeenshire who drive, with their photos, interests, rates and reviews. Talking to them is free and nothing is booked until you say so.

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