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- Balmoral Castle
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- Muir of Dinnet Nature Reserve
- Rob Roys Cave & the Burn o Vat
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- Grampian Castle Trail
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Loch Kinord hotel
Castle trails
Dramatic ruins, tower houses, magnificent mansions... This is serious castle country and there are over 70 in the Grampian region. Nine of the region's finest great houses and castles are to be found along Scotland's only Castle Trail.
Grampian Castle Trail
Wherever you are in Grampian, you are never far from a castle for this is Scotland's Castle Country and it's where you will find Scotland's unique Castle Trail.
One moment you will be in Norman Scotland, the next in Renaissance Scotland. You can let your imagination run riot in dark romantic ruins or in magnificiently furnished castles. The trail is approximately 150 miles long and can be followed in either direction. At least one hour should be allowed for each property visit. You can even stay in the noblest of northern castles - Kildrummy Castle.
Those properties belonging to the National Trust for Scotland are open during the period May-September with some opening at Easter and weekends in October. Their gardens and grounds are open all year. A few of the Historic Scotland properties are open all year.
Notable local castles include
Drum
The keep is one of the three oldest tower houses surviving in Scotland. It was the work of Richard Cementarius, first Provost of Aberdeen and Kin's Master mason, in the late 13th century. The High Hall of the tower is still in its medieval state. It is accessed by a narrow newel stair, and offers fine views from the battlements. The original house was enlarged with the creation of a very fine Jacobean mansion house in 1619 and a later addition during the reign of Queen Victoria. William de Irwyn, faithful armour bearer, was given the charter of the Royal Forest of Drum by King Robert the Bruce in 1323. The same family remained owners of Drum for the following 653 years. Irvine memorabilia is shown in the Family Room and the house contains an excellent collection of portraits and good Georgian furniture. It is a welcoming house with the feeling of a family home, enhanced by the recent creation of the Day and Night Nurseries. The grounds contain the 40h a (100 a) Old Wood of Drum - a natural oakwood - coniferous plantations, deciduous woodland and arboretum. Within the old walled garden is the fine collection of Historic Roses.
Balvenie
Balvenie Castle is located in Glen Fiddich. The castle changed hands several times but has never seen any sieges or battles.
The Black Comyn's, Earls of Buchan held the castle and ruled the ancient Celtic province in the 1200's.
Robert the Bruce wiped out the Comyns in his fight for the Scottish throne. The castle apparently stood vacant for a few years before the Black Douglasses took up residence in the early 1400's.
King James II caused the next turnover around 1455. He wiped out the Douglasses and assigned the province to a kinsman. In 1720 the castle was abandoned.
The top view shows the entrance to the buildings, the curtain wall no longer stands. The bottom, is a view from the inside of the courtyard towards the front gate. There is also a very impressive moat surrounding the castle, (no water).
Braemar
Situated amidst the magnificent splendour of the Cairngorms on Royal Deeside 1/2 mile north east of Braemar on the A93 Aberdeen - Perth scenic route.
An impressive fortress built in 1628 by the Earl of Mar on the site of an even older habitation. Used by Hanovarian troops after the Jacobite Rising of 1745, later transformed by the Farquharsons of Invercauld into a residence of unusual charm.
Corgarff
This castle is out in the remote area of Strathdon. The structure has been completely restored to it's original status. It has a star shaped curtain wall for defense.
The castle was built in the 16th century and last occupied in 1912 by two sisters called The Castle Ladies in a photo. The castle was turned over to the state in 1961 for preservation.
Corgarff was used by the Jacobites as supply storage for powder, muskets and ammunition. It was later retaken for the government and eventually turned into a garrison outpost.
Crathes
King Robert the Bruce granted the lands of Leys to the Burnett family in 1323. The ancient Horn of Leys, which can be seen today in the Great Hall, was presented by Bruce to the family as a symbol of his gift. The castle, built in the second half of the 16th century, is a superb example of a tower house of the period. Some of the rooms retain their original painted ceilings and collections of family portraits and furniture. A visit to this property is enhanced by the 1.5 ha (3,75 a) of walled garden, which incorporates herbaceous borders and many unusual plants. The garden provides a wonderful display at all times of the year. The great yew hedges, fascinating examples of the art of topiary, date from as early as 1702. The castle grounds are perfect for nature study and there are six exciting trails for visitors to enjoy. In the Visitor Centre are two permanent exhibitions.
Craigievar
This fairytale-like castle, which exemplifies some of the best Scottish Baronial architecture, seems to have grown naturally out of the beautiful rolling hillsides of Aberdeenshire.
The Great Tower stands just as it was when completed by Master William Forbes - 'Danzig Willie' - in 1626. The simplicity of its lower towers contrasts perfectly with the turrets, the cupolas and corbelling which embellish the roof line.
Within its walls the collection includes an excellent show of family portraits and 17th-and 18th-century furniture. This perfect Scottish castle remains as unspoiled as it was when lived in by the Forbes-Sempill family.