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Castle Hill, Motte

WildlifeBirdsSeasonal

Dogs welcome

Getting here

57.06180, -2.36486

Open directionsv

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

Good to know

🐕Dogs welcome

Best for

6 activities

Wildlife

Very strong match

Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles

Free

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Woodpigeon, Robin, Great Tit +70 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Woodpigeon, Robin, Great Tit +70 more · last seen 2025

Free

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Plants — American Skunk-cabbage, Holly, Great Wood-rush +19 more · last seen 2025; Plants — American Skunk-cabbage, Holly, Great Wood-rush +19 more · last seen 2025

Free

Heritage

Strong match

Historic site

Free

Insect spotting

Good match

Insects — Sericomyia silentis, Common Awl Robberfly, Syritta pipiens +10 more · last seen 2025; Insects — Sericomyia silentis, Common Awl Robberfly, Syritta pipiens +10 more · last seen 2025

Free

Foraging

Good match

Plants — Beech, Wood-sorrel, Bramble +1 more foraging species

Varies

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

5 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Deeside WayWalking route

Named routeRegional walking route

Coy Burn TrailWalking route

Named routeLocal walking route

East TrailWalking route

Named routeLocal walking route

Ley WayWalking route

Named routeLocal walking route

Elsick MounthWalking route

Named routeLocal walking route

🚴

Cycling

27 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Deeside WayCycling route

Named routeRef 195National Cycle Network

Main RouteCycling route62 m

Named routeRef 195Length 62 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route641 m

Named routeRef 195Length 641 mNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route1.8 km

Named routeRef 195Length 1.8 kmNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface unsealedfirm

Main RouteCycling route305 m

Named routeRef 195Length 305 mNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt

Main RouteCycling route963 m

Named routeRef 195Length 963 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface unsealedfirm

Wildlife to spot

3,696 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

3,696 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds50 species

winterspringsummerautumn

2025

Woodpigeon · Blackbird · Long-tailed Tit · Robin · Blue Tit +45

WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
RobinErithacus rubecula
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Great TitParus major
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
JackdawColoeus monedula
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
SwallowHirundo rustica
KingfisherAlcedo atthis
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Coal TitPeriparus ater
GoosanderMergus merganser
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
CrossbillLoxia curvirostra
DunnockPrunella modularis
Tawny OwlStrix aluco
SiskinSpinus spinus
CuckooCuculus canorus
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
JayGarrulus glandarius
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
LinnetLinaria cannabina
House MartinDelichon urbicum
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
GreenfinchChloris chloris
House SparrowPasser domesticus
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
Stock DoveColumba oenas
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
Herring GullLarus argentatus
RookCorvus frugilegus
Tree SparrowPasser montanus
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
WhitethroatCurruca communis2024
WoodcockScolopax rusticola2023

🦌

Mammals7 species

autumn

2025

Red Squirrel · Badger · Mouse · Red Fox · Roe Deer +2

Red SquirrelSciurus vulgaris
BadgerMeles meles
MouseMus2024
Red FoxVulpes vulpes
Roe DeerCapreolus capreolus
OtterLutra lutra
MoleTalpa europaea

🐸

Amphibians1 species

summer

2025

Common Toad

Common ToadBufo bufo

🐝

Insects6 species

springsummer

2025

Common Awl Robberfly · Sericomyia silentis · Syritta pipiens · Eristalis horticola · Anthomyiidae +1

Common Awl RobberflyNeoitamus cyanurus
Sericomyia silentisSericomyia silentis
Syritta pipiensSyritta pipiens
Eristalis horticolaEristalis horticola
AnthomyiidaeAnthomyiidae
Western Honey BeeApis mellifera

🌿

Plants21 species

spring

2025

Holly · Bracken · Great Wood-rush · Sycamore · Large-leaved Avens +16

HollyIlex aquifolium
BrackenPteridium aquilinum
Great Wood-rushLuzula sylvatica
SycamoreAcer pseudoplatanus
Large-leaved AvensGeum macrophyllum
Wild AngelicaAngelica sylvestris
FoxgloveDigitalis purpurea
BeechFagus sylvatica
Hard-fernBlechnum spicant
Wood-sorrelOxalis acetosella
Lords-and-LadiesArum maculatum
BrambleRubus
Broad Buckler-fernDryopteris dilatata
Hart's-TongueAsplenium scolopendrium
Wall-rueAsplenium ruta-muraria
BilberryVaccinium myrtillus
Maidenhair SpleenwortAsplenium trichomanes
YewTaxus baccata
SnowdropGalanthus nivalis
Lesser CelandineFicaria verna
GorseUlex europaeus

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

3,696 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds50 species

winterspringsummerautumn

2025

Woodpigeon · Blackbird · Long-tailed Tit · Robin · Blue Tit +45

WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
RobinErithacus rubecula
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Great TitParus major
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
JackdawColoeus monedula
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
SwallowHirundo rustica
KingfisherAlcedo atthis
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Coal TitPeriparus ater
GoosanderMergus merganser
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
CrossbillLoxia curvirostra
DunnockPrunella modularis
Tawny OwlStrix aluco
SiskinSpinus spinus
CuckooCuculus canorus
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
JayGarrulus glandarius
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
LinnetLinaria cannabina
House MartinDelichon urbicum
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
GreenfinchChloris chloris
House SparrowPasser domesticus
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
Stock DoveColumba oenas
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
Herring GullLarus argentatus
RookCorvus frugilegus
Tree SparrowPasser montanus
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
WhitethroatCurruca communis2024
WoodcockScolopax rusticola2023

🦌

Mammals7 species

autumn

2025

Red Squirrel · Badger · Mouse · Red Fox · Roe Deer +2

Red SquirrelSciurus vulgaris
BadgerMeles meles
MouseMus2024
Red FoxVulpes vulpes
Roe DeerCapreolus capreolus
OtterLutra lutra
MoleTalpa europaea

🐸

Amphibians1 species

summer

2025

Common Toad

Common ToadBufo bufo

🐝

Insects6 species

springsummer

2025

Common Awl Robberfly · Sericomyia silentis · Syritta pipiens · Eristalis horticola · Anthomyiidae +1

Common Awl RobberflyNeoitamus cyanurus
Sericomyia silentisSericomyia silentis
Syritta pipiensSyritta pipiens
Eristalis horticolaEristalis horticola
AnthomyiidaeAnthomyiidae
Western Honey BeeApis mellifera

🌿

Plants21 species

spring

2025

Holly · Bracken · Great Wood-rush · Sycamore · Large-leaved Avens +16

HollyIlex aquifolium
BrackenPteridium aquilinum
Great Wood-rushLuzula sylvatica
SycamoreAcer pseudoplatanus
Large-leaved AvensGeum macrophyllum
Wild AngelicaAngelica sylvestris
FoxgloveDigitalis purpurea
BeechFagus sylvatica
Hard-fernBlechnum spicant
Wood-sorrelOxalis acetosella
Lords-and-LadiesArum maculatum
BrambleRubus
Broad Buckler-fernDryopteris dilatata
Hart's-TongueAsplenium scolopendrium
Wall-rueAsplenium ruta-muraria
BilberryVaccinium myrtillus
Maidenhair SpleenwortAsplenium trichomanes
YewTaxus baccata
SnowdropGalanthus nivalis
Lesser CelandineFicaria verna
GorseUlex europaeus

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Ewen Rennie · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Castle Hill Motte

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

🌱Drumoak Public ParkUrban park2.3 km→🌱Drumoak Memorial GardensUrban park2.5 km→⛪Drumoak KirkReligious grounds2.8 km→✦Crathes CastleHistoric site4.5 km→✦Cowie Hill StoneHistoric site3.9 km→✦Drum CastleHistoric site4 km→

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