Methlick

Methlick is a village in Aberdeenshire about 20 miles north of Aberdeen; its main attraction is Haddo House. Methlick derives from Gaelic Maothulach, which may mean "vale of honey". Its population in 2022 was 634.

Methlick is of one a handful of similarly-sized villages in a triangle of farmland between the coast and the cross-country route to Moray and Inverness, so they're all off the main track. These villages include Turriff, Fyvie, Tarves, Pitmedden and Oldmeldrum. The area lacks public transport, but has visitor facilities and a scattering of historic and prehistoric sights. The south tip of the triangle is commuterland for Aberdeen, where once-small villages grew in the late 20th century into the dormitory towns of Ellon and Inverurie.

The facilities of communication are pretty good: there are commutation roads leading to New Deer, Fyvie, Ellon, Meldrum, and Tarves; and a mail-gig runs daily between Methlick and Aberdeen. - Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, 1851

The village is at the junction of B9005 from Ellon to Fyvie and B9170 from Inverurie to New Deer.

Stagecoach North Scotland Bus 64 from Aberdeen Union Square runs via Udny, Pitmedden and Tarves, taking 80 min to Methlick. It's hourly M-Sa but with only four on Sunday. This bus starts from Inverurie then doubles back from Aberdeen.

Bus 35 runs from Aberdeen via Dyce to Oldmeldrum, Fyvie, Turiff, Macduff, Banff, Portsoy, Buckie, Cullen and Elgin. They're every 30 min M-Sa and hourly Sunday from Aberdeen to Banff, where alternate buses turn back.

The nearest railway station is Inverurie, with trains every couple of hours on the Aberdeen-Inverness line, so bike-on-train would work.

There once was a troop of Irish Dragoons / came marching down through Fyvie-oh

- trad Scottish folk song; but lacking a reliable internet travel guide, the excursion did not end well.

It's a scattered district, you need a car or bike.

• 57.403-2.2211 Haddo House, Methlick AB41 7EQ, ☏ +44 1651 851440. Apr-Feb Fri-Mon 10AM-4PM. Sumptuous stately home, built in Palladian style from 1732; the interior was made-over with Victoriana in 1880. There's a large art collection, and an elaborate porcelain dinner service from His Nibs' stint as Governor-General for Canada. There's also an arts venue with theatre and concert hall. House and grounds passed to the National Trust in 1979. Adult £18, conc £14, NT / NTS free.  (updated Jun 2026)
• 57.449-2.2842 Gight Castle, Ellon AB41 7HY. 24 hours. Crumbling ruin of an L-plan tower house built in 1570. In Georgian times it was owned by Catherine Gordon Byron, the mother of Lord Byron the poet, but she sold it in 1787 the year before his birth. She had to sell to pay off the gambling debts of Byron's father "Mad Jack", while she and her infant went to live in meagre lodgings in Aberdeen. Jack died aged 34 in Spain so the title "Lord Byron" bypassed him and went to the son. Gight's new owners were the 3rd Earl of Aberdeen then his son Lord Haddo who died aged 27 in 1791, whereupon the castle fell derelict. Not much to see and the ruin is unsafe, you come for the bosky setting.  (updated Jun 2026)
• 57.443453-2.3949863 Fyvie Castle, Fyvie AB53 8JS, ☏ +44 1651 891266. Jun-Aug daily 11AM-4PM, Sep Oct Wed-Sun 11AM-4PM. The first structure was from 1211, and each later owning family added a tower: Preston 1400-ish, Meldrum, Seton 1599 (the present entrance), Gordon 1778 and Leith 1890. The overall style is Scottish Baronial. Within (by guided tour) there's a grand wheel staircase and portrait collection. A charming walled garden grows Scottish fruit and vegetables. Adult £18, conc £14, NT / NTS free.  (updated Jun 2026)
• 57.371-2.2214 Tarves is a small village where the parish church graveyard has an ornate medieval tomb. See below for accommodation in Tarves.
• 57.3735-2.19415 Prop of Ythsie is a brick tower built in 1861/2 to commemorate the 4th Earl of Aberdeen, Lord Haddo, UK Prime Minister 1852-55.
• 57.348136-2.2132116 Tolquhon Castle, Tarves AB41 7LP, ☏ +44 1651 851286. Apr-Sep Wed-Sun 10AM-noon, 1:30-4:30PM. Pronounced "Toh-hon", this castle was built 1584-89. The original Preston Tower was built in the 15th century and defensive, but it was incorporated into this Renaissance building intended for comfort and show. The owners were busted by the collapse of the Darien scheme in 1718 and the castle fell derelict. Adult £8.50, conc £6.80, child £5.  (updated Jun 2026)
• Tolquhon Gallery is a commercial art gallery next to the castle, free entry. It's open F Sa 11AM-4PM.
• 57.3431-2.191947 Pitmedden Garden, Pitmedden AB41 7PD, ☏ +44 1651 842352. Apr-Sep Thu-Mon 10:30AM-4PM. Recreation of a Scottish Renaissance walled garden with striking geometric designs. The original was destroyed by fire in 1818 but recreated by NTS. Admission includes the Museum of Farming Life, a collection of old implements. Adult £11, conc £9, NT / NTS free.  (updated Jun 2026)
• 57.3315-2.19748 Udny Castle is a tower house of 14th / 15th century. A mansion house was tacked on in the 1870s but demolished in the 1960s. It's now a private residence.
• 57.3495-2.4219 Loanhead of Daviot Stone Circle is on the ridge just north of Daviot village off A920. It's virtually intact, and Bronze Age though some pottery found at the site is early Neolithic.

• Golf: there are courses at Ellon, Oldmeldrum, Meldrum House, Turriff and Trump International at Balmedie.
• Braes of Gight is one of several hiking trails. Start from B9005 and follow the Ythan riverbank upstream for views of Gight Castle, eventually looping back on the other bank.
• Football: Formartine United play soccer in Highland League, the fifth tier, at Oldmeldrum Road in Pitmedden. Turriff United also play in Highland League, at The Haughs in Turiff.
• Oldmeldrum Highland Gathering is held on the village Pleasure Park, with the next probably on Sa 19 June 2027, tba.

Farmers, dinnae trust to luck, always use our Turriff muck - marketing Aberdeenshire-style in the 1950s

• Ellon has the largest store hereabouts, Aldi open 8AM-9PM, Su 9AM-8PM.
• Oldmeldrum Co-op is open daily 6AM-10PM.
• Pitmedden Co-op is open daily 6AM-10PM.
• Methlick Costcutter is open M-Sa 8AM-7PM, Su 10AM-1PM.
• Tarves Spar is open M-Sa 7AM-8PM, Su 7AM-6PM.
• Turriff has Tesco open M-Sa 7AM-11PM, Su 8AM-8PM plus several other stores.

• Oldmeldrum has Morris's (below), Meldrum Kitchen and Redgarth Hotel (below).
• Morris's Hotel & Restaurant, Market Square, Oldmeldrum AB51 0DS, ☏ +44 1651 872251. Serving trad Scottish fare, and Jock's Bar is open from 11AM to late. They also have two double rooms. (updated Jun 2026)
• Ellon has Nazma Tandoori, Ythan Delight, Gurkha Kitchen and Marco's Grill.

• Ellon has The Tolbooth, and Brewdog east edge of town.
• Pitmedden has The Craft Bar.
• Glen Garioch Distillery in Oldmeldrum distills whisky and offers tours.

• 57.4008-2.15791 Ythan Valley Campsite is off B9005 in Ythanbank.
• 57.426-2.24032 Ythan View Hotel, Main Rd, Methlick AB41 7DS, ☏ +44 1651 806235. Small hotel with restaurant. B&B double £80.  (updated Jun 2026)
• Aberdeen Arms Hotel, The Square, Tarves AB41 7GX, ☏ +44 1651 851214. 4 bedroom hotel and pub. B&B double £90. (updated Jun 2026)
• 57.336-2.31433 The Redgarth, Kirk Brae, Oldmeldrum AB51 0DJ, ☏ +44 1651 872353. Pleasant hotel built 1928 near the golf course, good food. B&B double £140.  (updated Jun 2026)
• Meldrum House, Oldmeldrum AB51 AE (1 mile north of Oldmeldrum), ☏ +44 1651 872294. Golf hotel with good reviews for comfort and service. B&B double £150. (updated Jun 2026)
• Ellon further east has Buchan Hotel, New Inn and Station Hotel.

As of June 2026, the towns of this area and their approach roads have 4G with O2 and 5G from EE, but a poor signal from Three and Vodafone.

• Northwest to Huntly for sumptuous Leith Hall and the elegant shell of Huntly Castle.
• North to the coast for the fishing ports of Banff, Portsoy, Gardenstown and Fraserburgh
• East to Peterhead, with a notorious prison and a fine coastline.
• South to the big city attractions of Aberdeen.