Aberdeen and the Northeast
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Aberdeen and the Northeast - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Balmoral Castle
The British royal family's favorite vacation spot is a fabulous fake-baronial pile, with emphasis on the "fake." Compared with Scotland's most authentic castles, Balmoral is a right royal upstart, designed in the 19th century by Queen Victoria's German-born consort, Prince Albert. That doesn't stop it being one of Scotland's most visited castles, though only the formal gardens, the ballroom, and the carriage hall, with their exhibitions of royal artifacts, commemorative china, and stuffed native wildlife, are on view. When members of the royal family are in residence, usually from mid-August to the end of September, Balmoral is closed to visitors, including the grounds. You can take a guided tour in November and December; if the weather is crisp and bright, the estate is at its most dramatic and romantic. You're only allowed a peek inside, but the Royal Cottage is where Queen Victoria spent much of her time. You can see the table where she took breakfast and wrote her correspondence. Around and about Balmoral are some notable spots—Cairn O'Mount, Cambus O'May, and the Cairngorms from the Linn of Dee—that are home to golden eagles, red squirrels, red deer, black and red grouse, snow bunting, and the United Kingdom's only free-roaming reindeer, some of which may be seen on the quintessentially royal Land Rover Safari Tour. Tempted by the setting? Balmoral Castle has a number of cottages (some very large) for rent by the week at certain times. These are atmospheric but can be spartan (which, believe it or not, is how the royal family likes its holidays to be).
Off A93, Ballater, Aberdeenshire, AB35 5TB, Scotland01339-742534Sight Details
Rate Includes: £15, Closed when royals are in residence -
2. Castle Fraser
The massive Castle Fraser is the ancestral home of the Frasers and one of the largest of the castles of Mar; it's certainly a contender as one of the grandest castles in the northeast. Although the well-furnished building shows a variety of styles reflecting the taste of its owners from the 15th through the 19th century, its design is typical of the cavalcade of castles in the region, and for good reason. This—along with many others, including Midmar, Craigievar, Crathes, and Glenbuchat—was designed by a family of master masons called Bell. There are plenty of family items, but don't miss the two Turret Rooms—one of which is the trophy room—and Major Smiley's Room. He married into the family but is famous for having been one of the escapees from Colditz (a high-security prisoner-of-war camp) during World War II. The walled garden includes a 19th-century knot garden, with colorful flower beds, box hedging, gravel paths, and splendid herbaceous borders. Have lunch in the tearoom or the picnic area.
Off A944, Alford, Aberdeenshire, AB51 7LD, Scotland01330-833463Sight Details
Rate Includes: £14.50, Closed Tues.–Thurs. in Nov.–Feb. -
3. Crathes Castle
About 16 miles west of Aberdeen, Crathes Castle was once the home of the Burnett family and is one of the best-preserved castles in Britain. Keepers of the Forest of Drum for generations, the family acquired lands here by marriage and later built a castle, completed in 1596. The National Trust for Scotland cares for the castle, which is furnished with many original pieces and family portraits. The castle is open for guided tours only. Outside are grand yet lovingly tended gardens with calculated symmetry and flower-rich beds. There's an adventure park for kids, and the staff organizes activities that are fun and educational.
Off A93, Banchory, Aberdeenshire, AB31 5QJ, Scotland01330-844525Sight Details
Rate Includes: £14.50, Closed weekdays Oct.--Feb. and Tues. and Wed. in May and Sept. -
4. Drum Castle
This foursquare tower has an evocative medieval chapel that dates from the 13th century; like many other castles, it also has later additions up to Victorian times. Note the tower's rounded corners, said to make battering-ram attacks more difficult. Nearby, fragments of the ancient Forest of Drum still stand, dating from the days when Scotland was covered by great stands of oak and pine. The Garden of Historic Roses, open daily from April to October, lays claim to some old-fashioned roses not commonly seen today.
Drumoak, Banchory, Aberdeenshire, AB31 5EY, Scotland01330-700334Sight Details
Rate Includes: £14.50, Closed weekdays Oct.–Mar. and Tues. and Wed. in May and Sept. -
5. Dunnottar Castle
It's hard to beat the cinematic majesty of the magnificent cliff-top ruins of Dunnottar Castle, with its panoramic views of the North Sea. Building began in the 14th century, when Sir William Keith, Marischal of Scotland, decided to build a tower house to demonstrate his power. Subsequent generations added to the structure, and important visitors included Mary, Queen of Scots. The castle is most famous for holding out for eight months against Oliver Cromwell's army in 1651 and 1652, thereby saving the Scottish crown jewels, which had been stored here for safekeeping. Reach the castle via the A90; take the Stonehaven turnoff and follow the signs. Wear sensible shoes, and allow about two hours.
Off A92, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, AB39 2TL, Scotland01569-766320Sight Details
Rate Includes: £9.50 -
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6. Fyvie Castle
In an area rich with castles, Fyvie Castle stands out as the most complex. Five great towers built by five successive powerful families turned a 13th-century foursquare castle into an opulent Edwardian statement of wealth. Some superb paintings are on view, including 12 works by Sir Henry Raeburn. There are myriad sumptuous interiors—the circular stone staircase is considered one of the best examples in the country—and delightfully laid-out gardens. A former lady of the house, Lillia Drummond, was apparently starved to death by her husband, who entombed her body inside the walls of a secret room. In the 1920s, when the bones were disrupted during renovations, a string of such terrible misfortunes followed that they were quickly returned and the room sealed off. Her name is carved into the windowsill of the Drummond Room.
Off A947, Turriff, Aberdeenshire, AB53 8JS, Scotland01651-819266Sight Details
Rate Includes: £14.50, Closed Nov.–Mar. -
7. Ballindalloch Castle
The family home of the Macpherson-Grants since 1546, Ballindalloch Castle is every visitor's idea of what a Scots laird's lair should look like. You can wander around the beautifully kept rooms and meticulously tended gardens at your leisure; you may even bump into the lord and lady of the manor, who live here all year. There's also a splendid tea shop offering large slices of cake.
Off A95, Ballindalloch, Moray, AB37 9AX, Scotland01807-500205Sight Details
Rate Includes: £14.50, Closed Fri., Sat., and Oct.–Mar. -
8. Balvenie Castle
On a mound just above the Glenfiddich Distillery is this grim, gray, and squat curtain-walled castle. This ruined fortress, which dates from the 13th century, once commanded the glens and passes toward Speyside and Elgin.
Castle Road, Dufftown, Moray, AB55 4DH, Scotland01340-820121Sight Details
Rate Includes: £6, Closed Oct.–Mar. -
9. Braemar Castle
On the northern outskirts of town, Braemar Castle dates from the 17th century, although its defensive walls, in the shape of a pointed star, came later. At Braemar (the braes, or slopes, of the district of Mar), the standard, or rebel flag, was first raised at the start of the unsuccessful Jacobite rebellion of 1715. About 30 years later, during the last Jacobite rebellion, Braemar Castle was strengthened and garrisoned by government troops. From the early 1800s the castle was the clan seat of the Farquharsons, who hold their clan reunion here every summer. Thanks to the commitment of local volunteers, a remarkable 2008 renovation restored Braemar to the home it would have been in the early 20th century, complete with all the necessary comforts and family memorabilia. Further renovation through summer 2023 is aimed at sprucing up the exterior. Inside, a dozen rooms are on view, including the laird's day room with a plush daybed and the kitchen.
Off A93, Braemar, Aberdeenshire, AB35 5XR, Scotland01339-741219Sight Details
Rate Includes: £8, Closed Nov.–Easter and Mon. and Tues. in Apr.–June, Sept., and Oct -
10. Corgarff Castle
Eighteenth-century soldiers paved a military highway north from Ballater to Corgarff Castle, an isolated tower house on the moorland with a star-shaped defensive wall that's a curious replica of Braemar Castle. Corgarff was built as a hunting lodge for the earls of Mar in the 16th century. After an eventful history that included the wife of a later laird being burned alive in a family dispute, the castle ended its career as a garrison for Hanoverian troops. The troops were responsible for preventing illegal whisky distilling. Reconstructed barracks show what the castle must have been like when the redcoats arrived in 1746.
Off A939, Corgarff, Aberdeenshire, AB36 8YP, Scotland0131-668–8600Sight Details
Rate Includes: £6, Closed Oct.–Mar -
11. Craigievar Castle
Pepper-pot turrets make Craigievar Castle an outstanding example of a tower house. Striking and well preserved, it has many family furnishings, and the lovely grounds are worth exploring, too. Craigievar was built in relatively peaceful times by William Forbes, a successful merchant in trade with the Baltic Sea ports (he was also known as Danzig Willie).
A980, Alford, Aberdeenshire, AB33 8JF, Scotland01339-883635Sight Details
Rate Includes: £13, Closed Oct.-mid June, Mon.–Wed in mid-June–Aug., and weekdays in Sept. -
12. Spynie Palace
Just north of Elgin sits Spynie Palace, the impressive 15th-century former headquarters of the bishops of Moray. It has now fallen into ruin, though the top of the tower has good views over the Laigh of Moray. Find it by turning right off the Elgin–Lossiemouth road.
Off A941, Elgin, Moray, IV30 5QG, Scotland01343-546358Sight Details
Rate Includes: £9, £12 with Elgin Cathedral, Closed Oct.–Mar.
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