Deeside

The A93 west of Aberdeen follows the course of the River Dee to Braemar at the foothills of the Grampian Mountains.  It is known as 'Royal Deeside' as the Royal family have regularly spent holidays here since Queen Victoria bought the Balmoral estate.  Deeside is a beautiful area, renowned for its many castles and its salmon fishing.  The western end is a good starting point for long treks into the Cairngorm Mountains and there are many opportunities for mountain biking and horse riding.

There are two interesting castles to the west of Aberdeen on the A93.  Drum Castle was built in the 17th century with a 13th century keep but its interior is mainly Victorian.  The 16th century Crathes Castle has magnificent painted ceilings dating from 1602 and its gardens include 300-year old yew hedges.

Glen Tanar, accessible via Aboyne (west of Banchory), is ideal for walking, horse riding and mountain biking.  Ballater, 10 miles west of Aboyne, has a restored train station (although the railway line has been closed for a long time) with exhibits about the visits of the Royal family to Balmoral.  There are many walks in the area including many from Loch Muik (9 miles south-west of Ballater), one to the 400-metre Craigendarroch and more strenuous and lengthy walks up the 871-metre Morven and the 1154-metre Lochnagar.

Balmoral Castle, 8 miles west of Ballater, was converted from a 16th century tower into a mansion house for Queen Victoria in 1855.  Only a small part of the castle is open to the public and only for a few months in the year.  Braemar lies west of Balmoral at a height of 1100 feet and is surrounded by mountains - good for hill-walking and near to the ski resort of Glenshee, further south on the A93.  Braemar hosts the Braemar Gathering (Highland Games) in September and has an interesting heritage centre.  There are many walks starting at Inverey, five miles west of Braemar, including the long hike through the Lairig Ghru and the Glen Luibeg Circuit.

Information
There are several tourist offices in the area: Banchory's is located in the town's museum; Ballater's is in the train station museum; there is one at the Crathie church and one in Braemar.  Hotels in the area include the Tor-Na-Coille Hotel (Banchory), the Burnett Arms Hotel (Banchory), Deeside Hotel (Ballater), Coyles Hotel (Ballater), Braemar Lodge and many other hotels in Braemar.  Places to eat in Ballater include the Green Inn, La Mangiatoia and the Station Restaurant and those in Braemar include Taste, the Gathering Place, Inver Hotel and the Fife Arms Hotel.