In a slight change from my usual mountain routes when hiking in Scotland, I took this riverside route which was, frankly, spectacular. Parking in Edzell, following the route along the river to the “blue door” and then continuing along the river to watch the salmon leaping and enjoy some spectacular waterfalls, this was an incredible walk.
| Hike date | 13th August 2023 |
| Weather conditions | 4 seasons in a day! Rain on an off, sunshine here and there! Mild |
| Distance hiked | 11.5km |
| Walking time | 3.5 hours (if we exclude rests, stopping to watch the salmon leap and taking photos) |
| Elevation gain total | 141m – relatively flat route |
| Terrain | Easy to follow footpath most of the way. Went wandering off path to get right to the waterfalls though |
Edzell Blue Door Walk and Rocks of Solitude Route
This is the route I followed for this gorgeous walk on the Angus/Aberdeenshire border.How was it?
This was such a wonderful walk. It had some beautiful scenery and was really spectacular.
We parked in the little village of Edzell and followed the River North Esk. Soon we came off the footpath up onto a minor road. It’s on this road we came to the “Blue Door” itself, which leads through to woodland and a footpath that continues along the River North Esk.
Atlantic Salmon can be found leaping here and there are so many spots to stop by waterfalls and watch the spectacle.
The path is incredibly easy to follow, it’s dog friendly (but not pram friendly) too. What I would say is that only a few weeks after I visited to do the Edzell Blue Door Walk, the River itself overflowed phenomenally following Storm Babet. I believe it’s prone to flooding in the area and people have lost their lives on that stretch of river. So check before going that the river level is as expected and steer clear during storm conditions.
However, this was a beautiful walk. Alltrails estimated just over 10km but it came in at 11.5km on my Apple Watch. It was a gentle walk though. I hiked with someone who was recovering from Gallbladder surgery and she managed the route fine as well. Well worth a trip.
Edzell Blue Door Walk – Short Video
Here’s a short Tiktok video with some of the highlights of this walk.
@staceyhikes A little throwback to a late summer walk around Edzell’s Blue Door and Rocks of Solitude walk. Honestly such a stunner of a little hike on the Angus Aberdeenshire border in Scotland. Beautiful route with waterfalls and leaping salmon and beautiful woodland. Would love to go back in winter too. This was different from the usual hills and mountains but it was spectscular and a day well spent with @CAM88 #edzellbluedoor #edzell #hiketok #scotlandtravel #walkitoff #waterfalls #getoutside ♬ Luminary – Joel Sunny
Leaping Salmon
I’m not going to lie – part of the appeal of this route was catching the salmon leaping.
Late summer and early autumn are the best times to catch salmon leaping. We didn’t have to wait long at all to spot some.
Would I Walk This Route Again?
Yes. Absolutely. I’d love to do it in the winter time. It’s a route I’ll do again in the future for sure.
