For those looking for a holiday in Aberdeenshire, North East Scotland has plenty to offer. Firstly the area boasts Scotland’s only Castle Trail.  There are also a number of picturesque small seaside villages to visit, dramatic awe inspiring cliffs, quiet unspoilt beaches, valleys, glens and the Grampian mountains. 

Holiday Cottages in Scotland

If you are holidaying in Scotland and looking for holiday accommodation in Aberdeenshire click on self catering in Aberdeenshire to see a selection of holiday cottages in Aberdeenshire.  If it's tourist information that you are after, read on to find out more.

 

Aberdeen

Aberdeen is the capital city in Grampian and is also known as the granite city due to the buildings in the city centre being made of grey granite.  There a number of old grand buildings and the oil industry has meant that Aberdeen has become quite a wealthy city.  Relatively speaking the city centre is quite compact, making it easy to get around.  The Maritime Museum is well worth a visit, as is Aberdeen Art Gallery.  Further details are available here: http://www.aagm.co.uk/Venues/AberdeenArtGallery/aag-overview.aspx

 

Aberdeen itself has enough to keep visitors occupied for a weekend but the surrounding areas outside of the city are the real reason to visit the region.  There is a North East Scotland Coastal trail which is clearly signposted and takes visitors through various picturesque villages, nature reserves and places of interest.

 

 

Villages in Aberdeenshire

Along the North East Scotland’s Coastal Trail, particularly worth a visit are the villages of Cruden Bay, Gardenstown & Pennan.

 

Cruden Bay (around 40 minutes drive from Aberdeen) has a beautiful long sandy beach which is unspoilt, very quiet and offers magnificent views of the North Sea. 

 

Also accessible from Cruden Bay are the ruins of Slains Castle.  Slains Castle perches on the edge of high cliffs with waves crashing furiously below.  Slains Castle although a ruin has a certain eeriness about it due to its remoteness and location and stirs the imagination.  It is believed by some that Bram Stoker got his inspiration for writing Dracula following a visit to Slains Castle.  It is well worth a visit but dogs & small children must be closely supervised at all times -the cliffs are high and there are sudden and steep drops to the sea.

 

Accessible along from Slains Castle are the Bullers of Buchan.  A visit to the Bullers of Buchan is not for the faint hearted and all visitors are advised to proceed with caution – all dogs should be kept tightly on leads and it is not suitable for small children.  There are huge drops from the cliff edge to the sea and there are no barriers.  However, it is a dramatic and impressive sight as you are high up on the cliff edge and the great swells and waves crash noisily against the cliffs below.  The Bullers of Buchan are home to various different seabirds so it is a great spot for Birdwatchers. 

 

 

 

Further along the coast, past Fraserburgh is Pennan (around one hours drive from Aberdeen).  The road leading to Pennan from the top of the cliff to the village below is incredibly steep but it is well worth the trip.  Pennan itself is a very picturesque small fishing village with white washed buildings.  The sea tends to be reasonably calm and there is a great pebble beach to walk along.  Relax and enjoy.

 

Further still along the coastline is Gardenstown.  Gardenstown was originally a small fishing village dating back to 1720 and there are a number of traditional fishermans’ houses along the seafront.  Gardenstown is a little bigger than Pennan and has a few shops to browse through and even has a Harbour café.  Gardenstown’s little harbour is well worth a visit to see the local fisherman colourful boats in the harbour.   There is also a stretch of beach for walks along the seaside.  Gardenstown is perfect for getting away from it all. 

 

The Castle Trail

There are 13 main castles for history lovers to visit in the North East of Scotland, each one offering something different.  This does not include the numerous ruins and other historical buildings scattered around the area.  

 

The main 13 castles open to visitors are:

 

-       Drum Castle

-       Crathes Castle

-       Cragievar Castle

-       Castle Fraser

-       Corgarff Castle

-       Kildrummy Castle

-       Leith Hall

-       Tolquhon Castle

-       Huntly Castle

-       Fyvie Castle

-       Haddo House

-       Duff House

-       Delgatie Castle

 

 

The castles each have their own individual histories, the best way to learn more is to visit. For more information and inspiration read more about Scotland's Castle Country.   The Castle Trail is clearly marked by road signs around the North East of Scotland.

The Grampian Mountains

For those in search of the truly stunning scenery of the Grampian mountains and for energetic mountain walks, head for Braemar in Royal Deeside.