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    Travel in Scotland can take many different forms. Many visitors like the freedom and independence of their own motorhome. Other more ‘green’ visitors prefer to travel the length and breadth of Scotland by bike. Or you can choose the relative luxury of being ferried around by the many Scottish holiday companies created specially to take the effort out of having fun travelling in Scotland.
The visitscotland.com database is the definitive source of travel options for the whole of Scotland. Using it, you can access travel service providers in Scotland from car hire companies to train companies and specialist tour operators.
You may of course prefer to use a more conventional mode of transport. The North East of Scotland is simply great walking country with a wide variety of terrain to be found throughout the region. Perhaps you'd like to take on parts of the Formartine and Buchan Way, explore the heights of the Cairngorms or discover the dramatic coastline. And with many of the country roads being almost traffic free - you could always see the area under your own steam - by bicycle.
Information and timetables for all public transport across Scotland can be found at www.traveline.org.uk or by calling 0870 608 2 608. | | | |
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    Was your Great Grandfather a farmer? Was his wife a seamstress? Was her Great Grandfather a Fisherman? Don't know? Many people have also pondered these questions and many have sought to find the answers. "READ AN EXAMPLE OF GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH"
Tracing your family roots can often be a fascinating and intriguing journey of discovery through your personal history. With more than 28 million people claiming Scots ancestory perhaps you are one of them? Maybe you hailed from this corner of Scotland - one that has a woven rich fabric of cultural and historical intrigue. Indeed Seats of the Hay Clan (Delgatie Castle, Slains Castle) and the mighty Clan Fraser - to name but two - are to be found in this area.
Even just those few generations back, there is so much information hidden in the census records, in the births, marriages and death records, about the people who made us who we are. More and more people are interested in finding the lost families and seeing the buildings and surroundings in which their ancestors lived.
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Why not start your journey of discovery with the Aberdeen and North East Family Society. The Society is run by expert volunteers who will give you some handy hints on how to research family trees.
It's recently been expanded because of the increasing demand for genealogical research, and stocks hundreds of years of records. The Society covers the old counties of Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Kincardineshire and Morayshire.
Find out more about the Aberdeen and North East Family Society at their website: www.anesfhs.org.uk |
All that remains to say is…enjoy your intellectual passage through Scotland's fascinating history…and GOOD LUCK! | |
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Where better to experience true Scottish golf than on the variety of fairways in Aberdeen and Grampian Highlands. You can choose from 25 links courses like the traditional links of Royal Aberdeen (6th oldest golf course in the world), Cruden Bay, Murcar and Moray Old to the amazing seaside courses of Cullen, Stonehaven, Royal Tarlair and Fraserburgh.
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To truly experience the delights of inland golf and the captivating scenery of the Scottish countryside you can choose from an astounding selection of 45 inland courses. Breathe in the aroma of malt Whisky Country from the highest tee in Scotland at Dufftown or the enchanting new development at Ballindalloch Castle, enjoy the tranquil setting of Castle Country at Alford or Turriff, or relish in the engaging tests at Newmachar. Make sure you take time to discover the magnificent panorama of Royal Deeside with Inchmarlo, Banchory and Aboyne setting the pace.
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| Enjoy some holiday golf on one of the many Pay and Play courses, such as, the new development at Aboyne Loch or the popular choice of Aberdeen municipal courses with Hazlehead a firm favourite. | | 
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    Scotland's north-east corner offers a tremendous variety of scenery and walks to match, from long distance footpaths and cross-country routes, to sand dune and cliff-top trails and moderate-level circular hill-walks, where superb panoramas reward relatively little effort. Walking is easily combined with a visit to the many castles, historic gardens and whisky distilleries throughout the area. Signposted walkways, forestry tracks, clifftop paths, mountain ridges, moorland rights of way - it is simply great walking country! |
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Extensively signposted trails and path networks exist across the Moray forests of Culbin, Roseisle and Speymouth where the shelter of the big trees provides bird-watching and mushroom hunting.
Beach walking is a speciality - go for the wide open beaches of Burghead, Lossiemouth, Cullen, Fraserburgh, Balmedie and St Cyrus. If you've a head for heights and suitable shoes, then you might take in some of the cliff paths, notably those at Bullers of Buchan just south of Peterhead. |
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Walk Aberdeen and Grampian Highlands is a great source of information on walking through the varied coutryside of the area, from coastal paths to forest treks, or hill walking in Royal Deeside. Visit www.walk-grampian.co.uk for more.
Walking Wild Scotland provides useful information for anyone walking in Scotland and the Aberdeen and Grampian area - including moderate to long distance paths, tips, access issues, events and safety. Visit the website at www.walkingwild.com for walks throughout Scotland.
For details of Walking businesses in the Aberdeen and Grampian area why not search the visitscotland.com database of sport and leisure facilities. |
Snow sports of all kind are well catered for with two of Scotland's five ski areas found in this area. Whether you're a skier, snowboarder or cross-country enthusiast - at beginner, intermediate or advanced level - you're sure to find a facility to meet your winter sports needs.
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Glenshee stakes its claim as Scotland's most extensive ski area with more than 25 miles (40 km) of downhill runs. These ski grounds sit astride the summit of the highest public road in the UK, some 2200 feet above sea level. Reach it by the A93 south from Braemar.
Glenshee is well suited to intermediate skiers with no more than 26 blue and red runs whilst advanced skiers will look out for the famous moguls of the 'Tiger.' |
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The Lecht is a more compact centre, focussed on families, ideal for beginners, with Tomintoul (highest village in the Highlands) as the nearest centre. The ski and snowboard school is located beside the nursery tows and friendly and experienced instructors will make sure you enjoy and learn from your experience.
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Activity at The Lecht is not just a winter experience. In the summer months many of the tows will take you to the summit for spectacular views over the Cairngorms. Look out also for the 'Deval Karts', tubing and summer skiing and boarding
Instruction, equipment hire and refreshment facilities all operate during the skiing season. This period can be as early as December and sometimes continue to as late as April. | |
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Fishing can be found in many guises - on lochs, estuaries, fisheries, or rivers. The rivers Findhorn, Deveron, Lossie, Ythan and Ugie provide a heady mix of challenges for beginners and experienced anglers alike. If it's exclusive beats you're after, many stretches of the Dee, Don and Spey are world-famous. |
The River Spey, for example, is one of the most important salmon fishing rivers in the north-east. It's Scotland's fastest flowing river and supports a major spawning population of the Atlantic salmon. Some 8000 fish are taken from this river each year.
If you prefer sea angling, you're well catered for in this area. Tiny villages and picturesque harbours dotted along 150 miles (250 km) of beaches and often visually stunning coastline, provide an excellent base for a fishing holiday.
Why not try sea trout fishing off the east or west beaches in Lossiemouth or rock fishing - for mackerel and haddock - around Aberdeen or further south at Stonehaven?
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The bike was invented by a Scotsman, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, in 1840. For long, it languished under the label of "poor man's transport". The advent of the mountain bike has propelled the once-humble bike into the forefront of the leisure industry. It's quickly been adopted across age group. (If you can't bring a bike, don't worry. You'll be able to hire one almost anywhere).
With a bike and the network of rural roads that covers this part of the world, you'll be able to cycle safely and peacefully almost anywhere, the occasional flock of sheep or tractor apart! Use a bike to find the forests of Moray, or explore the lesser-known ways by the river Spey, or take to the hill roads of Donside.
Simple off-road cycling options include the Speyside Way where you can also take in a distillery or two, or the Formartine and Buchan Way, which provides the best way to see the rolling farmland of Aberdeenshire. |
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Whether you are planning a three week tour covering a thousand miles, tracking down mountain bike challenges in the hills or simply looking for ideas for an easy traffic-free ride on a day trip suitable for novices and families, the Cycling Scotland website is for you.
For details of Cycling businesses servicing the Aberdeen and Grampian area why not search the vistscotland.com database of sport and leisure facilities. Simply type 'Cycling' in the 'Name of the business' field. |
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For those who like their holiday to be adrenaline packed there are a variety of exciting and unusual sports to whet the appetite of even the most adventurous.
Hang-gliding, canoeing, off-road driving, rafting, shooting, stalking, diving and even tank driving...are just a few of the activities which can be sampled. Many operators provide introductory courses for the beginner or novice.
The scenery throughout Aberdeen and Grampian is stunning and varied with a wealth of natural features. For those outdoor types who wish to experience 'Natural Grampian' why not discover some of our fantastic scenic spots found off the beaten track. Relax in the great outdoors where you'll find an irresistible mixture of golfing, fishing, sailing, ski-ing, gliding, multi-activity and horse-riding, along with hundreds of kilometres dedicated to walking and cycling trails. |
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But we can’t always count on the weather! Aberdeen and Grampian boasts a range of indoor recreational opportunities, whether you want to spectate from the sidelines or take a more active role there are a wide variety of sporting pursuits to participate in. Take a dip in a pool, land a triple-toe-loop in ice-skating, score a strike in the bowling alley, or take part in an aerobics class.
Whether you want to work up an appetite, work off lunch or just let the kids let off steam, there are plenty of options to get active with. |
Walking, fishing, skiing, sailing, climbing, shooting, golfing, diving, riding, wildlife... Aberdeen & Grampian Highlands has it all. Please explore the links in the activities menu for just a sample of what we have to offer you in Aberdeen and Grampian Highlands.
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The River Dee near Ballater |
    The Cairngorms National Park takes in some of the most spectacular landscapes in Britain, from the wild tundra of the high mountain tops to the seclusion of the ancient pinewoods. Heather, moor, vivid with summer colour, and grand glens, haunt of red deer and golden eagle, are just some of the other habitats within the park. Just as important, there are friendly towns and villages, mainly along the Don, Dee and Spey, each with its own sense of community, so that visitors can discover not only spectacular wildlife, but also a rich cultural heritage. |
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The turbulent past is recalled at visitor attractions such as folk museums and heritage centres, as well as castles, some of which have played part in the drama of the Jacobite rebellions, with both Strathspey and Deeside as a backdrop. In more peaceful times, the rise of the Victorian sporting estate is an important theme, especially after Queen Victoria chose Deeside as her holiday retreat. Today, estate management for sporting activities is still significant for the local economy, along with forestry and farming, whisky distilling and tourism. |
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Visitors are attracted to the National Park partly because of the sheer breadth of its leisure choice. Walkers and climbers explore the high tops or the old-established routes across the vast rolling plateau of the Mounth south of the River Dee. Signposting and sheltered trails through pine and birchwood are low-level options, enjoying by cyclists as well. Lochs and rivers attract watersports enthusiasts and anglers. Other activities include three ski centres and numerous golf courses. |
Landscapes and people, conservation and development - all are important for the Cairngoms National Park. |
SCOTLAND’S Northern corner is home to more castles than any other area of the UK and provides a timeless location for a stimulating yet unforgettable break.
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Historic castles, ruined castles, restored castles, sites of castles, inhabited castles, preserved castles, Royal castles, famous castles, tiny castles, castles the size of French chateaux, castles as homes, and castles as business centres - a thousand castles or sites of castles crowd into this neck of Scotland. Some like Braemar majestically dominate their territory, while others like Findlater near Cullen successfully hide themselves away in the unlikeliest of corners. | |
    GRAMPIAN is the shoulder of Scotland, vigorously thrust out into the North Sea, a big triangle of Scotland providing everything for the ideal holiday. Except crowds.
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The coast is a turning point on the map of Scotland, guarding land that has been tilled since the Stone Age. It watches over a land of pride and promise, home to a people whose aspirations down the centuries have created strong identity and entrepreneurial spirit.
This Land by the sea creates a perspective of enormous skies filling the horizon. Suddenly there is land no more, just the last field chopped off a little beyond the next fence. |
Instead golden sands sweeps in glorious stretches for what seems like miles (and frequently are): the beaches of St Cyrus, Balmedie, Rattray, Fraserburgh, Boyndie, Cullen, Lossiemouth and Burghead. These sandscapes remain invitingly empty, even in high season.
| Not that you're alone all the time, for tiny villages suddenly spring forth, places like Gardenstown and Crovie (pronounced Crivvy), delightfully built gable-end on to the ocean. One of them, Pennan, found fame as the location for the film Local Hero. And yes, you can make a call from that phone box, just as Burt Lancaster did. |
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Clifftop castles, beaches for surfing, yacht chandlers and sea angling charters draw visitors annually to what is rightly acclaimed as one of the best stretches of coast anywhere in Britain. Clean and uncrowded, these vast strands and craggy settings entice return visits. Those who savour cliff-sided Dunnottar Castle can see more like it, such as Slains at Cruden Bay or the less extensive but equally rewarding Findlater near Cullen - and wonder at how folk lived centuries ago high above the salt spray. |
The Granite City, The Flower of Scotland, The Silver City by the Golden Sands…Aberdeen wears its titles with pride. A prosperous cosmopolitan city, with a historical old town, Aberdeen has one of Scotland’s most striking skylines. Here is a quintessentially northern city, whose granite makes buildings sparkle after rain; whose outlook is across the seas rather than to the Central Belt; and whose speech retains the Scots idiom as part of everyday communication.
The granite buildings such as Marishal College, His Majesty’s Theatre and St. Machar’s Cathedral give the city its distinctive look, whilst historical Old Aberdeen and the fishing village of Footdee, have an incredible air of time gone by. |
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Some things don’t change. You cannot escape the sea here, not since it was founded as a Royal burgh back in 1124. The influence of the harbour is everywhere (as are the gulls!), and the harvest of the North Sea continues. Where once streamlined clipper ships left the slipways for the China tea trade, now oil executives from all over the world drive to their comfortable homes in the suburbs.
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Aberdeen has won the ‘Britain in Bloom’ competition many times and has taken its floral pulling power on to the European stage. The statistics are all there: two million roses, eleven million daffodils, three million crocuses.
You get the picture. Where other cities resort to grass, Aberdeen employs petal-power. One top attraction is the Winter Gardens in the Duthie Park, home to the stunning Rose Mountain. Even in the depths of winter, the aptly-named Winter Gardens provide colour and scent. At two acres (one hectare), it provides what some say is the largest area under glass in Europe. |
The City of Aberdeen with a proud and fascinating history presents a modern cosmopolitan image to visitors. A thriving cultural calendar, lively theatre, and vibrant nightlife, along with excellent restaurants and attractions makes Aberdeen an energising city break choice.
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SCOTLAND's Castle and Whisky Country has some of Northern Europe's most beautiful and varied scenery. Mountainous peaks, rolling farmland and miles of unspoilt coastline provide the backdrop for a plethora of tiny fishing villages, busy towns and cities - each with its own individual charm, character and abundance of attractions.
To help you choose where to visit or spend your holiday, the menu below will give you a little taste of the cities, main towns and some of the villages which offer a wide variety of accommodation and attractions. | | 
If alpine shrubs are your interest, then make sure that Kildrummy Castle Gardens and Johnston Gardens, Aberdeen, are on your list.
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For Victorian gardens, you’re just as spoilt for choice, so don’t miss Union Terrace Gardens or those at the Gordon Highlanders’ Museum.
It’s a hard choice to nominate the top two, but judging by visitor popularity, you certainly shouldn’t miss out on Pitmedden with its recreated 17th-century formal garden and the Biblical Garden in Cooper Park, Elgin, home to every plant mentioned in the Bible. | |
| Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Author Lewis Grassic Gibbon, pen-name of James Leslie Mitchell, was born in 1901 and brought up at Bloomfield near the tiny village of Arbuthnott in the Mearns. His prolific output and unusual literary style gained widespread acclaim, and he might well have been hailed as a latter-day Sir Walter Scott but for his tragically early death at the age of 33. His work captured the essence of rural life and strong sense of continuity and community in Kincardineshire. The Grassic Gibbon visitor centre at Arbuthnott is clearly signposted from the main A90. | |
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Robert Burns
The paternal roots of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet, lie solidly in the Mearns. At Clochnahill, his father William, strove to make a living from unyielding earth. Eventually the struggle proved too great, and William moved south to try to create a better life. He settled at Alloway near Ayr, where in 1759 Robert Burns was born. In later years, Burns journeyed to the Mearns to see at first hand the land from which his forefathers had sprung, and visited Laurencekirk and Stonehaven. A large cairn by the A90 commemorating Burns and his parents overlooks the lands of Clochnahill. |
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Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson spent seven weeks in Braemar in the summer of 1881, but the weather was poor. Stevenson’s stepson Lloyd Osbourne painted a map, and suggested to his stepfather that he write a story around it. RLS did so, reading out every evening what he had written that day. So chapter by chapter, Treasure Island came into being on Deeside, far from the scene of the narrative. It was first published in serial form in the magazine Young Folks under the pen name "Captain George North", to give the impression that it was written by a seafaring man. Stevenson's father, also Robert, was the famous civil engineer who designed Girdleness Lighthouse at the mouth of the Dee in Aberdeen. | |
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Bram Stoker
| The majestic views which enthral today’s visitors wove the same magic spell a century ago on Bram Stoker. He took lengthy holidays at Cruden Bay, where he wrote the world-famous horror novel Dracula. He also spent some time in the hilltop village of Whinnyfold nearby. |
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For almost a decade he returned to the area, and was well remembered as a figure who walked brooding along the sands, or who spent hours on the clifftops watching the wild sea. It is said that he drew inspiration from Slains Castle. One of his spine-chillers, The Lair of the White Worm, is set in Cruden Bay. | |
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William Shakespeare
Did Shakespeare visit Aberdeen? There is absolutely no proof, but it remains a long-standing hypothesis. In 1601, a company from the Globe Theatre in London played in Aberdeen. Two years later, it is known that the company which visited Aberdeen were granted a Royal licence. It may be more than coincidence that in 1605, Shakespeare began work on Macbeth, basing the action around Forres in Moray.
In 1990, Dunnottar Castle became Elsinore Castle in Denmark when Franco Zeffirelli filmed Shakespeare’s Hamlet starring Mel Gibson.
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Lord Byron
Byron through his poetry waged relentless war on hypocrisy and cant, though he is best loved in this part of the world for his epic poem which for ever has caused one of Deeside’s most famous mountains to be described by the adjective "dark" - ……..the steep frowning glories of dark Lochnagar. Named George Gordon Byron after his grandfather George Gordon of Gight, and Aberdeenshire laird, Byron bore Royal blood, descended through his mother from King James I.
| In his early life, Byron and his mother lived in Broad Street, Aberdeen. When he was 10, he exchanged Aberdeen Grammar School for Harrow when he inherited the Byron peerage. But his Scottish background left an indelible influence on his thoughts and feelings. |
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Burt Lancaster
If you can imagine what a tiny fishing village straight from a picture postcard might look like, then that’s Pennan. This little north-facing settlement found enduring fame in the early 1980s when it was used as the location for Bill Forsyth’s film Local Hero. The phone box made famous by Peter Riegert (oil executive) to call Burt Lancaster (his boss) is still there, so yes, you can make a call from it just like he did. And enjoy a relaxing drink at the local inn as he also did. Since his visit, Pennan has become a location for several film-makers, including the backdrop to the BBC sitcom All Along The Watchtower. | |
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John Brown………
The man who began as Queen Victoria’s faithful Highland servant and ended as her friend was born and brought up on Deeside. He entered Royal service in 1851 aged 25 and faithfully served his monarch for 32 years until his premature death in 1883. The inscription on his headstone are words by the poet Tennyson, and was chosen by Victoria herself:
"That friend on whose fidelity you count, that friend given you by circumstances over which you have no control, was God’s own gift."
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| ………. alias Billy Connolly
The Glasgow-born comedian turned serious actor took the starring role in the film on the life of Queen Victoria and John Brown, 'Mrs Brown'. He has now settled on Donside, and annually visits the Lonach Gathering in the company of many of his friends, including Dame Judi Dench and Robin Williams.
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Charlie Chaplin
In his later life, the funniest little man ever to grace the silver screen regularly favoured the northern end of Scotland for holiday breaks. Accompanied by his wife Oona, Sir Charles first went to Nairn on the Moray Coast, then latterly stayed at the Tor na Coille Hotel in Banchory. Leaving the Tor na Coille on one occasion he delighted the staff gathered to see him off by picking up a hat and imitating the shuffling walk that shot him to stardom. | |
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Lawrence of Arabia
In his troubled life after his heroic exploits in the First World War, Thomas Lawrence sought sanctuary in the little Aberdeenshire village of Collieston, then a fisherplace and now often frequented by artists. At different times in his post-war life, he took the surnames Ross and Shaw. Until recent years, there were people still alive in Collieston who could remember their tall, handsome but shy visitor.
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