Forest bathing at Den of Maidencraig

The Den of Maidencraig is a 16.5 hectare local nature reserve on the western edge of Aberdeen, designated in 1992. It packs grassland, wetland and ancient woodland into a narrow den, and has a local management committee that looks after it with the council's countryside rangers. It is small, but the woodland on the valley sides feels much further from the city than it is.

The car park is on the north side of Skene Road, just west of the Groats Road traffic lights. A tarmac path alongside the reserve reaches the valley bottom and the pond, with its dipping platform, so you can sit by the water without tackling the slopes. The path through the woods is steeper, with steps, boardwalk and roots, and it is the quieter part of the reserve. It links on foot to Hazlehead Park if you want a longer walk.