Forest bathing in Aberdeen

Aberdeen's woodland sits on its western and southern edges rather than in the centre. Hazlehead Park, a couple of miles west of Union Street, has mature pine and mixed woodland beyond its formal gardens. Further out, Countesswells and Foggieton are Forestry and Land Scotland pine and spruce woods with a web of paths, and Tollohill Wood above Kincorth, south of the Dee, is older mixed woodland with views back over the city. Along the Don, Seaton Park has riverside trees below St Machar's Cathedral.

In a city a session is as likely to be in a park as a forest, and that is fine. Expect a slow couple of hours in a small group, a short walk rather than a hike, and a lot of standing still and noticing; a wood with traffic hum in the background is a perfectly good place to learn. Each guide's profile lists their dates, venues and prices.

Hazlehead is the easy first choice: free parking, a cafe, buses from the centre and woodland a few minutes from the car. Countesswells is quieter, with a car park off Countesswells Road, though recent felling means some paths change.