Roughpark Path

This is an easy out-and-back from Bellabeg through farmland and woodland to views over Strath Don, with the Doune of Invernochty beside the route. The mapped core is about 1.5 miles round trip and takes roughly one hour to 1¼ hours with a stop at the fort. Published distances differ, with a longer figure of 2 miles; this line follows the shorter, well-mapped core. The path is mostly firm, gravel or grass, with some longer moderate slopes.

Start at Bellabeg’s small parking area behind the war memorial, then cross to the signed route. The lime-tree avenue commemorates 42 local men killed in the two World Wars. The Doune comes early; beyond it, a boardwalk and small bridge pass a pond before the trail enters trees. At the pond fork, follow the main marked path through the woodland toward Roughpark. The school appears to the left, then the route opens to fields and views across Strath Don before returning along the same corridor. Check the leaflet at the start if you want to follow a longer variation.

The Doune is a large motte-and-bailey earthwork built over an earlier Pictish fortress and later used as a stronghold of the mormaers of Mar. A church in the bailey served the area until the mid-17th century. The optional climb to the top branches through a kissing gate before the boardwalk; its faint grassy path is steep, while the main trail passes the mound without requiring the ascent.

The parking area is behind the war memorial, off the road to Lost; the signed path begins across the road. Toilets are marked at the start, though their current availability is unconfirmed. Bellabeg has a village shop as a separate stop. The route crosses farmland, so keep dogs under close control and shut gates. Watch the waymarks at the pond and woodland forks; the optional Doune climb is easy to skip if the steep grass does not suit you.