Visitors and residents in Aberdeen have many opportunities for accessing the outdoors in and around the city. From award winning parks to riverside walks, a coastal path, forest trails and informal routes throughout the farmland and settlements around the city, there's plenty to see and do outside.
We are working on improving opportunities for access in line with the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. This Act introduced new rights and responsibilities for the public and for land managers in terms of outdoor access. This means that as long as behaviour is responsible, i.e. respecting the interests of other people, caring for the environment and taking responsibility for your own actions, you can enjoy access to almost all land and inland water. Guidance on where these rights apply and exactly what is meant by 'responsible behaviour', for both access takers and land managers, is provided in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code which is available below.
Aberdeen City Council has a statutory duty to assert and protect public access rights on land and inland waters where access rights may be reasonable exercised. If you have any questions about the extent of public access rights or if you would like to report an obstruction to your access rights then please contact us through the details below. We encourage parties involved in access issues to initially discuss the problem and try and find a solution themselves before contacting the Council. Providing us with photographs of the problem (with details of the dates when photographs were taken), a map or grid reference of the location of the problem and contact details for the responsibility parties (if you know them) can all help to with our investigations.
Aberdeen City Council (Section of Core Path 87 - Kirk Brae to Sunnyside Stables) Temporary Stopping-up Order 2021
Please see the Core Path 87 Order and Notices below for further information.
Aberdeen Outdoor Access Forum
Aberdeen Outdoor Access Forum brings together all of the key stakeholders in access to the outdoors to discuss, understand and improve responsible access in Aberdeen.
Most people agree that managing access to the outdoors is a good thing, although there are different views on how it should be done. Walkers, horse-riders, cyclists, water-sports enthusiasts, land managers, local communities and other organisations may all have different interests, concerns and priorities.
The forum brings people together in order to consistently and fairly implement the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. It advises the Council and other organisations on outdoor access issues and helps to resolve any outdoor access disputes.
The forum meets every three months and its members would be happy to discuss any issues with you.
Contact us
Outdoor Access
Strategic Place Planning
Aberdeen City Council
Business Hub 4
Ground Floor North
Marischal College
Aberdeen
AB10 1AB
01224 067054 and 01224 053221
paths@aberdeencity.gov.uk
You can contact the Aberdeen Outdoor Access Forum using the details above or email aboaf@aberdeencity.gov.uk