Explore Peterculter through walks of different lengths and historical themes. The 2 km Lovers’ Walk offers views of the River Dee and is complemented by a free audio guide. Walk 17 is a seven-mile circular route; the path up Hill of Ardbeck leads to the highest point in Culter. Other highlights include the railway theme of the Deeside Railway Line, the history of papermaking and Normandykes as a Roman marching camp. The walks and themes therefore vary in distance and viewpoint: landscape, technology, transport history and the Roman past.
Walks by length and landscape
The Lovers’ Walk is 2 km long and offers views of the River Dee. A free audio guide accompanies the route. The walk combines a short distance with a specific audio offering and a named landscape feature. Compared with Walk 17, the difference in length is clear: Walk 17 is a seven-mile circular route. The two walks therefore offer different scales for planning a walk through Peterculter.
The path up Hill of Ardbeck leads to the highest point in Culter and offers panoramic views of the Deeside Hills. The panorama includes Kerloch, Clachnaben, Mt Battock and Hill of Fare. The landscape differs from the views of the River Dee on the Lovers’ Walk: here, several named hills are the focal points, while there it is the river. When choosing a walk, you can therefore also consider which of these two features particularly interests you.
Walk 17 is a seven-mile circular route from Milltimber to Belskavie Tower (Newmill Hill), crossing Malcolm Road in Peterculter. Terrain and access conditions can change, so check them before setting out. The route details provide a specific basis for distinguishing the longer circular walk from the 2 km Lovers’ Walk, without combining the different routes into a single walk.
Papermaking and historic routes
The site of Culter Paper Works was the location of a paper mill founded in 1751 and demolished in the 1980s. These two dates mark different milestones in the mill’s history: its founding and, more than two centuries later, its demolition.
Another point of interest in the history of technology is 1807, when Scotland’s first continuous paper machine, the Fourdrinier machine, was operated at Culter Paper Mills. This is about the operation of a specifically named machine and its place as the first of its kind in Scotland. This technological milestone differs from the founding and later demolition of a paper mill.
Shoddy Bridge was built in 1710 on the former road from Aberdeen to Tarland, before the construction of the turnpike roads. Its historical significance lies in this earlier road connection. This adds a different perspective on the past to the history of papermaking: a bridge on an old road.
Normandykes is designated as Scheduled Monument 2478 and classified as a Roman marching camp. The range of historical themes thus extends from papermaking and road connections to the Roman past.
Exhibition and visiting hours
St. Peter’s Heritage Centre hosts an exhibition on the Deeside Railway Line, featuring a model railway and track layout. For railway enthusiasts, this is a clearly defined exhibition focus and another perspective on the history of technology and transport.
Between 3 May and 27 September 2026, the Centre was open on Sundays from 2 to 4 pm; visits were also possible by appointment. As these seasonal hours apply to 2026, check the current visiting hours and appointment options before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Pitmedden, Strichen, Fraserburgh, Kemnay, Port Elphinstone, Inchmarlo, Banchory, Logie.
For the main travel overview: Aberdeenshire.
