Views sought on future of Balmedie Country Park
Aberdeenshire Council is working with Balmedie Country Park Group to encourage locals and visitors to share their views on the future of the award-winning coastal attraction.
To help identify and understand what Balmedie Country Park users think about the park, and how it should be enhanced, an online survey has been set up to gather views and opinions of Aberdeenshire residents.
The survey forms part of the Balmedie Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund Project design grant through which Aberdeenshire Council was awarded £20,000 from Visit Scotland to undertake design and planning work.
Councillor Iain Taylor, Aberdeenshire Council’s Formartine Area Committee Chair said: “Balmedie Country Park is a much-loved resource of national importance. By engaging with the local community and visitors to the park, we hope to both maintain and improve what makes the park so special. I would encourage anyone with an interest in the area to set aside ten minutes to share their valuable insight through our survey.”
Amanda Roe, Formartine Area Manager, said: “At this first stage of the park development we want to get a feel from people on how they would like to see Balmedie Country Park enhanced and improved. The online survey is an ideal way to get your views heard. Any further stages of the project are subject to securing additional external funding support, so it’s important to get your views in now to help influence these discussions.”
Balmedie Country Park is situated on the coast, around eight miles north of Aberdeen. It is made up of beach, sand dunes, heath land, and wooded areas, connected by a series of paths and boardwalks.
In 2021, Balmedie Beach was awarded Visit Scotland’s Beach Award for excellence in access, facilities and safety, local environmental quality, and community and heritage. The beach has also been awarded Keep Scotland Beautiful’s annual beach award 20 times.
The park is a popular place for walkers, dog owners, horse riders, and runners who enjoy the flat, sand beach and dunes. As a natural playground for children of all ages, it offers endless outdoor recreation and features a constructed play park with a range of equipment, including an inclusive roundabout, funded, and installed by Belhelvie Community Trust.
If you would like to give your views on the future direction of Balmedie Country Park, please visit the Engage Aberdeenshire online engagement portal and complete the survey before 24 February 2026. Visit engage.aberdeenshire.gov.uk