About Health Walks
Why Walking?
Why be More Active
How often should I be active?
Walk to Health - Top Tips
Getting Started
How Should I feel?

About Health Walks

Walk To Health has been developed and designed by Health Promotions in collaboration with health service professionals, to help you become more active. This pack contains a number of walks in your area, so you can take a step to better health from your own doorstep.

Why walking?

Brisk walking is a great way to be active and stay healthy - it's not surprising that walking is the most popular leisure activity in Scotland. Walking is suitable for almost everyone and you don't have to be fit to start with - you just have to get started.

Why be more active?

The human body needs to be active to function properly, but modern living means that most of us are not active enough. Many people have discovered that being more active means:

• more energy
• stronger, toned muscles
• a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis
• a greater sense of well-being
• help to sleep better
• improved confidence

To improve your health you need to be active NOW - so it's time to get walking.

How often should I be active?

Aim to build up to half an hour of moderate activity on most days. To become a little more active each day you could:

• use the stairs instead of the lift or escalator
• do daily activities, such as housework, gardening and DIY, a little more energetically
• walk more

This pack has been designed to help you get walking. If you combine walking with other forms of activity, all the better.

If you wish to be even more active, you can try the longer walks detailed in the pack.

Just half an hour a day of moderate activity is all it takes to look and feel better.

Walk To Health - Top Tips

• a walking partner (family, friend, dog) can add to your enjoyment
• if you're walking alone, leave a note of your route, when you left and when you expect to be back
• wear flat, comfortable footwear
• if visibility is poor, wear reflective clothing
• aim to walk at a brisk pace
• write down a walking plan at the start of each week and use the Walk To Health diary to record your progress
• if you don't manage to stick to the plan (perhaps if you are not well or if you're on holiday) don't worry - just make a special effort to get back on track as soon as you can

Getting Started

The walks vary in length from 11/2 to 5 miles. Use the walking diary, on the back of the pack, to record your progress.

The following guide will help you get the most out of the Walk To Health pack.

	Start with the shortest walk, and walk at a comfortable pace. This is just the start so don't worry if you are unable to complete the whole route. Fill in the walking diary.
	On following walks, try walking a little faster - gradually building up to a brisk pace. Try to work at a moderate intensity.
	When you feel ready, move on to the next walk. As before, gradually build up to a brisk pace.
	Continue on to the longer walks when you feel ready. Once you have completed all the walks, you can repeat sections of the same walk if you require further distances, or devise some new routes of your own

How should I feel?

Try to exercise at a moderate intensity - put in enough effort so that your breathing becomes faster than normal, but not so that you're gasping for breath. You should be able to talk easily during the activity, but if you're able to whistle or sing, you're probably not doing enough.

Too low whistle/sing (breathing easy)
	Just right talk comfortably (breathing deeper)
		Too high difficulty talking (gasping for breath)

How should I feel?

The Lower Deeside corridor of Cults, Bieldside, Milltimber and Peterculter has many opportunities for walking. Due to its geographical layout, many of the best walking routes are on gradients of varying degrees. Walkers should be prepared to tackle such routes or perhaps adapt them to suit individual levels of ability.

Walk 1

Allan Park - Cults

Approximately 1.5 Miles in length on pavements and unpaved paths. Sturdy footwear advised. May be suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Target time 35 minutes

	Start at Cults Square in front of the Cults Hotel. Cross North Deeside Road and walk down Station Road and join the Old Deeside Railway Line footpath. Turn right and continue until you see a sign for Allan Park pointing to the left down Park Brae.
	Turn left down Park Brae where extra care should be taken as there is no pavement. After a short distance the entrance to Allan Park can be found on the right. Enter the Park and take the path on the left and follow it round to the cricket pitch. Continue onto the cobbled path and uphill to Park Road.
	Turn left onto Park Road and walk to the end and turn right onto West Cults Road, where again there is no pavement. At Belvidere Lane turn right and rejoin the Old Deeside Railway Line footpath.
	Continue along this footpath until reaching the sign for Allan Park and turn left up a short lane leading to School Road. Turn right into South Avenue and then left into Dunmail Avenue. At the end turn right onto North Deeside Road and return to the start.

Walk 2

Rocklands - Cults

Approximately 1.8 miles in length on pavements and rough tracks. Sturdy footwear advised, but may still be suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Target time 35 minutes

Walk 3

Peterculter - Bucklerburn

Approximately 2.25 miles in length on pavements and rough paths and not suitable for wheelchairs but may be suitable for pushchairs. Target time 50 minutes.

	Start at North Deeside Road at St Peter's Terrace. Cross to the north side of the road, turn left and continue on to Malcolm Road. Turn right into Johnston Gardens.
	Follow the road round and as it forms a sweeping right hand bend turn left into the cul-de-sac at house No.127. Take the path leading into the grass area and follow the path up the steps. Turn right onto Bucklerburn Drive and follow it round to where it joins School Road.
	Continue down School Road and turn left into Coronation Road. Continue to the T-junction with North Deeside Road and turn left.
	After a short distance turn right into Pittengullies Brae and turn right onto the Old Deeside Railway footpath. Follow it to the end and turn right onto Howies Lane and immediately left into Station Road West. Continue to the end and onto St Peter's Terrace and back to the start.

Walk 4

Peterculter - St Ronans

Approximately 2.6 miles in length on pavements and paths. Suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs*.

	Start on North Deeside Road at Station Road East and walk towards Aberdeen. Turn left into St Ronan's Place and follow it round to the right and uphill to the T-junction with St Ronan's Drive and turn right.
	Continue round St Ronan's Drive to the junction with Crown Crescent and turn right. At the T-junction with Coronation Road turn right. At the crossroads junction with School Road cross over and continue along Hillside Road.
	As Hillside Road bends uphill to the right, continue straight ahead onto The Bush and Follow it round to the left and downhill into Brighton Place.
	At the T-junction with North Deeside Road turn right and continue along to St Peter's Terrace and turn left into the unnamed street leading to the Millside housing area. Turn left and follow the road past the disused meal mill, taking care as there is no pavement.
	After crossing the bridge turn left into Kennerty Mills Road and at the end turn left into Burnside Road. Continue to the Old Deeside Railway Line footpath access stairway and turn left onto the path at the top of the stair. *Wheelchair and push chair users at this point can go under the railway bridge and turn left onto Station Road South and follow it back to the starting point.
	Follow the footpath to the end and continue onto Station Road South and back to the Start.

Walk 5

Academy

Approximately 2.75 miles in length on pavements throughout and suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Target time 1 hour.

	Start at Cults Square in front of the Cults Hotel. Walk along North Deeside Road in the opposite direction from the City. Turn right into Quarry Road and then left into Manse Road.
	Continue onto Cairn Road and at the end turn right onto Baillieswells Road. Turn right into Cairnlee Terrace and continue to a Y-junction. Take the road on the left, Earlswell Road and continue to the end, passing Cults Primary School on the left.
	At the end follow the road round to the right and then turn left onto Hillview Crescent and continue to the end, passing Cults Academy on the right. At the end turn left onto Cults Avenue and then right into Broom Park.
	At the end of this cul-de-sac take the footpath between houses numbered 12 and 15 leading to Kirk Place, then follow this street downhill to Kirk Brae. Turn right and continue to the traffic lights at North Deeside Road and turn left and return to the start.

Walk 6

Milltimber

Approximately 3 miles in length on pavements and paths and suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Target time 1 hour 10 minutes

	Start at Milltimber Brae at the Old Deeside Railway Line footpath and walk towards the City. Continue to a point opposite the Waterwheel Hotel on the left and leave the path by taking a path down to the left. Go through a gap in the fence there and turn left onto a paved footpath alongside a private road.
	On reaching North Deeside Road, turn left and at the crossroads junction with Beaconsfield Road and Binghill Road, turn right onto Binghill Road. Turn left into Binghill Crescent and follow it round to Binghill Drive and turn right. A short distance on the left after house No. 5 take the path leading to the childrens' play-park. Walk through the play-park and turn right onto Colthill Road.
	At the T-junction turn left onto Contlaw Road. Walk almost to the end of this street and turn right onto Culter House Road. Care should be taken as this road has no pavement. Turn left into Bellenden Walk and at the end turn left onto North Deeside Road.
	Cross North Deeside Road and take the path beside the public telephone kiosk leading to Milltimber Brae and follow it to the end and back to the start.

Walk 7

Bieldside

Approximately 4.7 miles in length and mainly on pavements and footpaths. Suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Target time 1 hour 30 minutes.

	Start at Cults Parish Church, North Deeside Road. Walk up Quarry Road and turn right into Hillview Road. Turn left onto Hillview Drive and continue to the end passing Cults Academy on the left.
	At the T-junction turn right into Hillview Crescent and then left into Cults Avenue. A short distance along, take the lane on the left and continue to the entrance on the right leading to the public park known as Cults Woods. Continue on the path round the grass area and return to the entrance.
	Turn right back onto the lane and continue to the end where it leads onto Earlswells Road. A short distance along turn right onto the road round Cults Primary School and follow it round, rejoining Earlswells Road.Turn right and after house No.20, turn right onto a footpath. At the end turn left into a lane (Cairnlee Road). Continue to the second footpath on the right. Follow this path, crossing Earlspark Drive and onto a wider lane.
	At metal barriers at the side turn left onto a footpath leading to Earlspark Crescent and turn right. Continue to the T- junction. Turn right onto Baillieswells Road and then left into Springdale Road. Follow this street round to Baillieswells Road and turn right and then right again into Baillieswells Crescent.
	Continue round to Baillieswells Place and turn right. Turn right into Baillieswells Drive and follow it round to North Deeside Road and turn right. A short distance along turn left into Old Ferry Road and continue downhill passing Newton Dee Village community on the right. At the foot of the hill take the road on the left sign-posted 'Architect's Office'.
	Continue along to a crossroads and turn left uphill passing the entrance to Deeside Golf Club on the right. Then take the path on the right leading to the Old Deeside Railway Line footpath and turn right. Follow this pathway to where it crosses West Cults Road.
	Leave the footpath and turn left uphill on West Cults Road where care should be taken as there is no pavement. At the end of this street turn left onto North Deeside Road and return to the start.

Walk 8

Fox Lane - Cults

Approximately 5 miles in length. On pavements and unpaved tracks with some inclines. Sturdy footwear is advised. Suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Target time 1hour 20 minutes

	Start at Cults Square in front of Cults Hotel. Cross North Deeside Road and walk down Den of Cults onto Primrosehill Road. At the T-junction turn left onto Inchgarth Road and continue onto Garthdee Road.
	Turn left onto Auchenyell Road and left into Morrison Drive. Take the footpath after the houses numbered 212-220, which leads onto the Old Deeside Railway Line and turn right.
	Continue along the Old Railway footpath to the first overhead bridge and leave the path on the right and walk over the bridge onto Broomhill Road. Turn left onto Morningside Gardens. At the end turn left into Cranford Terrace and at the T-junction turn right onto Morningside Road.
	At the end turn left onto St John's Terrace and then right into Gordon Terrace. Turn left onto Gordon Road and at the end turn right onto Springfield Road. Turn left into Braeside Terrace and continue to the end of this street.
	Turn right onto Northcote Road and follow it round onto Airyhall Road. Continue onto the unpaved lane, passing Fox Lane Garden Centre on the left. At the crossroads turn right onto Bairds Brae.
	At the T-junction turn left onto Craigton Road passing Woodlands Hospital on the left. Continue on to Friarsfield Road and turn left into Abbotshall Drive. At the end turn left onto Abbotshall Place. Turn right onto Abbotshall Road and at the end turn right onto North Deeside Road and return to the start.