Leisure
The North East coast of Scotland offers many opportunities for leisure. At Balmedie, 8 miles north of Aberdeen, conflict has arisen between groups who wish to use the area for different types of leisure pursuits.
Balmedie is a country park – this means that it is an area of countryside designated for recreation and enjoyment by visitors. It is funded and managed by Aberdeenshire Council and attracts around 150,000 visitors every year.
Balmedie has a range of features – these include a long sandy beach and wide system of dunes, wetland vegetation and an area of stable grassland.
These environments support a number of facilities, including car parking, a visitor centre, public toilets and 1700 metres of boardwalk. There are also picnic tables, barbeques for hire and an outdoor play area for children.
Some leisure activities, such as walking, picnicking and horse riding, are encouraged at Balmedie, while some (like dune jumping and quad-biking over sand) are not allowed.
Balmedie beach is also popular with kite surfers, because its long beach and wind conditions provide an excellent environment for the sport.
