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Northeast Scotland

Why Go? DUNDEE & ANGUS ...225 Many visitors pass by this corner of the country in their Dundee ...... 225 headlong rush to the tourist honeypots of Loch Ness and Glamis Castle & Skye. But they’re missing out on a part of Scotland that’s as Village ...... 232 beautiful and diverse as the more obvious attractions of the western Highlands and islands. Arbroath ...... 232 Within its bounds you’ll fi nd two of Scotland’s four larg- Angus Glens ...... 235 est cities – Dundee, the city of jute, jam and journalism, ABERDEENSHIRE & the cradle of some of Britain’s favourite comic characters, MORAY ...... 237 and home to Captain Scott’s Antarctic research ship, the Aberdeen ...... 237 Discovery; and Aberdeen, the granite city, an economic Deeside ...... 247 powerhouse fuelled by the riches of North Sea oil. Angus is a region of rich farmland and scenic glens dot- Strathdon ...... 250 ted with the mysterious stones left behind by the ancient Moray ...... 253 Picts, while Aberdeenshire and Moray are home to the greatest concentration of Scottish Baronial castles in the country, and dozens of distilleries along the River Spey. Best Places to Stay » Glen Clova Hotel (p235 ) W h e n t o G o » 24 Shorehead (p246 ) Aberdeen » Auld Kirk (p 248 ) °C/°F Te m p Rainfall Inches/mm 40/104 10/250 » City Wharf Apartments (p 241 ) 30/86 8/200 20/68 6/150 Best Places to Eat 10/50 4/100 2/50 » T o l b o o t h ( p 2 4 6 ) 0/32 -10/14 0 » Café 52 (p242 ) J FDNOSAJJMAM » Metro (p 228 ) » Gathering Place (p 250 ) June/July Classic September December boats large and Braemar Gather- Spectacular small fill Portsoy ing (Highland fireball ceremony harbour for the games); whisky in Stonehaven on Scottish Wooden and music festival Hogmanay (New Boat Festival. in Dufftown. Year’s Eve). 2°W #\ 3°W Moray Lossiemouth Firth Portsoy Crovie #] #\ #\ #\ Pennan 224 #\ #\ #\ #\ Fraserburgh #\ Findhorn Elgin #÷ #] Fordyce Banff Macduff Gardenstown N #\ /·A98 or #\ Fochabers th Forres U A90 New #\ g /· y ie e W p Pitsligo Lossie S Aberchirder #\ MORAY #\ Tu r r i f f #\ Mintlaw Keith D #\ A95 e New Deer #\ /· ve #\ a ron l /·A96 Peterhead Is y n Spe a Fyvie Castle h t #\ #\ #V Huntly Y Hatton #5 Dufftown #\ n o

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Northeast Scotland Highlights 1 Hiking through the hills 4 Exploring the hills, forests, around beautiful Glen Clova castles and pretty villages of (p 235 ) Royal Deeside (p 247 ) 2 Meditating on the meaning 5 Being initiated into the of the mysterious Pictish mysteries of malt whisky on stones (p 231 ) of Angus a Speyside distillery tour 3 Tucking into the freshest (p 255 ) of Scottish seafood at the Tolbooth Restaurant (p246 ) in Stonehaven 8 Getting Around Dundee enjoys perhaps the fi nest loca- You can pick up a public transport map from tion of any Scottish city, spreading along the 225 tourist offi ces and bus stations. For timetable northern shore of the Firth of Tay, and can information, call Traveline (%0871 200 2233; boast tourist attractions of national impor- www.travelinescotland.com). tance in Discovery Point and the Verdant BUS The Dundee to Aberdeen route is served by Works museum. Add in the attractive sea- Scottish Citylink (www.citylink.co.uk) buses. side suburb of Broughty Ferry, some lively Stagecoach (www.stagecoachbus.com) is the nightlife and the Dundonians themselves – main regional bus operator, with services linking among the friendliest, most welcoming and all the main towns and cities. most entertaining people you’ll meet – and Stagecoach off ers a Highland Megarider Dundee is defi nitely worth a stopover. ticket (£24) that gives seven days unlimited bus travel in Inverness and as far as Strathpef- History fer, Beauly, Nairn, Elgin and Fochabers, and a During the 19th century Dundee grew from Bluebird Megarider ticket (£70) that allows its trading port origins to become a major seven days unlimited travel on all its services in player in the shipbuilding, whaling, textile Aberdeenshire and Moray. and railway engineering industries. Dun- TRAIN The Dundee–Inverness railway line donian fi rms owned and operated most of passes through Arbroath, Montrose, Stone- the jute mills in India (jute is a natural fi - haven, Aberdeen, Huntly and Elgin. bre used in making ropes and sacking), and the city’s textile industry employed as many as 43,000 people – little wonder Dundee DUNDEE & ANGUS earned the nickname ‘Juteopolis’. Angus is a region of fertile farmland Dundee is often called the city of the stretching north from Dundee – Scotland’s ‘Three Js’ – jute, jam and journalism. Ac- NORTHEAST SCOTLAND DUNDEE & ANGUS fourth-largest city – to the Highland border. cording to legend, it was a Dundee woman, It’s an attractive area of broad straths (val- Janet Keillor, who invented marmalade in leys) and low, green hills contrasting with the late 18th century; her son founded the the rich, red-brown soil of freshly ploughed city’s famous Keillor jam factory. Jute is fi elds. Romantic glens fi nger their way into no longer produced, and when the Keillor the foothills of the Grampian Mountains, factory was taken over in 1988 production while the scenic coastline ranges from the was transferred to England. Journalism red-sandstone cliff s of Arbroath to the long, still thrives, however, led by the family fi rm sandy beaches around Montrose. This was of DC Thomson. Best known for children’s the Pictish heartland of the 7th and 8th cen- comics, such as the Beano, Thomson is now DUNDEE turies, and many interesting Pictish symbol the city’s largest employer. stones survive here. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Apart from the crowds visiting Discov- Dundee was one of the richest cities in the ery Point in newly confi dent Dundee and country – there were more millionaires per the coach parties shuffl ing through Glamis head of population here than anywhere else Castle, Angus is a bit of a tourism back in Britain – but the textile and engineering water and a good place to escape the hordes. industries declined in the second half of the 20th century, leading to high unemploy- ment and urban decay. In the 1960s and ’70s Dundee’s cityscape Dundee was scarred by ugly blocks of fl ats, offi ce POP 144,000 buildings and shopping centres linked by London’s Trafalgar Sq has Nelson on his unsightly concrete walkways – the view as column, Edinburgh’s Princes St has its you approach across the Tay Road Bridge monument to Sir Walter Scott and Belfast does not look promising – and most visitors has a statue of Queen Victoria outside City passed it by. Since the mid-1990s, however, Hall. Dundee’s City Sq, on the other hand, is Dundee has reinvented itself as a tourist des- graced – rather endearingly – by the bronze tination, and a centre for banking, insurance fi gure of Desperate Dan. Familiar to gener- and new industries, while its waterfront is ations of British school children, Dan is one currently undergoing a major redevelop- of the best-loved cartoon characters from ment. It also has more university students – the children’s comic the Dandy, published one in seven of the population – than any by Dundee fi rm DC Thomson since 1937. other town in Europe, except Heidelberg. e 0200m Dundee # 00.1miles

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1 Sights A joint ticket that gives entry to both Dis- Discovery Point MUSEUM covery Point and the Verdant Works costs (www.rrsdiscovery.com; Discovery Quay; adult/ £11.50/7 per adult/child. child £7.75/4.75; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat, 11am- Verdant Works MUSEUM 6pm Sun Apr-Oct, to 5pm Nov-Mar) The three (www.verdantworks.com; West Henderson’s masts of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s fa- Wynd; adult/child £7/4; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat, mous polar expedition vessel the RRS Dis- 11am-6pm Sun Apr-Oct, 10.30am-4.30pm Wed- DUNDEE & ANGUS covery dominate the riverside to the south Sat, 11am-4.30pm Sun Nov-Mar) One of the of the city centre. The ship was built in fi nest industrial museums in Europe, the Dundee in 1900, with a wooden hull at least Verdant Works explores the history of half a metre thick to survive the pack ice, Dundee’s jute industry. Housed in a re- and sailed for the Antarctic in 1901 where it stored jute mill, complete with original spent two winters trapped in the ice. From machinery still in working condition, the 1931 on it was laid up in London where its museum’s interactive exhibits and com- condition steadily deteriorated, until it was puter displays follow the raw material from rescued by the eff orts of Peter Scott (son its origins in India through to the manufac- of Robert) and the Maritime Trust, and ture of a wide range of fi nished products, restored to its 1925 condition. In 1986 the from sacking to rope to wagon covers for ship was given a berth in its home port of the pioneers of the American West. The mill Dundee, where it became a symbol of the is 250m west of the city centre. city’s regeneration. Exhibitions and audiovisual displays in FMcManus Galleries MUSEUM the main building provide a fascinating (www.mcmanus.co.uk; Albert Sq; h10am- history of both the ship and Antarctic ex- 5pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-4.30pm Sun) Housed in a ploration, but Discovery itself – afl oat in solid Victorian Gothic building designed by a protected dock – is the star attraction. Gilbert Scott in 1867, the recently restored You can visit the bridge, the galley and the McManus Galleries is a city museum on a mahogany-panelled offi cers’ wardroom, human scale – you can see everything there and poke your nose into the cabins used by is to see, without feeling rushed or over- Scott and his crew. whelmed. The exhibits cover the history Dundee When it was proposed to break up the ship for scrap in the 1960s, a preservation soci- 227 æ Top Sights ety was formed. Wandering around the four City Square ...... C2 decks gives you an excellent impression of Discovery Point...... C3 what it must have been like for the crew Dundee Contemporary Arts...... B3 forced to live in such cramped conditions. McManus Galleries...... C1 The Unicorn is berthed in Victoria Dock, just northeast of the Tay Road Bridge. The æ Sights entry price includes a self-guided tour (also Old Steeple ...... (see 1) available in French and German). 1 St Mary's Church ...... B2 Dundee Contemporary Arts ÿ F Sleeping ART GALLERY 2 Aauld Steeple Guest House...... B2 (www.dca.org.uk; Nethergate; h10.30am-5.30pm 3 Aabalree...... C2 Tue, Wed, Fri & Sat, 10.30am-8.30pm Thu, noon- 4 Dundee Backpackers ...... C1 5.30pm Sun) The focus for the city’s emerg- ing Cultural Quarter is Dundee Contempo- ú Eating rary Arts, a centre for modern art, design 5 Deep Sea...... B3 and cinema. The galleries here exhibit work 6 Fisher & Donaldson ...... C2 by contemporary UK and international art- 7 Jute Cafe-Bar ...... B3 ists, and there are printmakers’ studios 8 Playwright...... A3 (print studio 11am-9pm Tue-Thu, 11am-6pm Fri & Rep Theatre Cafe...... (see 14) Sat) where you can watch artists at work, or 9 Tesco Metro ...... C1 even take part in craft demonstrations and workshops. There’s also the Jute Cafe-Bar û Drinking NORTHEAST SCOTLAND DUNDEE & ANGUS 10 Globe ...... A2 (see p229 ). 11 Nether Inn...... B3 Dundee Law PARK 12 Social...... B3 It’s worth making the climb up Dundee Law (174m) for great views of the city, the two ý Entertainment Tay bridges and across to Fife. The Tay Rail 13 Caird Hall ...... C2 Bridge – at just over 2 miles long, it was the 14 Dundee Rep Theatre ...... A3 world’s longest when it was built – was com- 15 Fat Sams...... A2 pleted in 1887 and replaced an earlier bridge SIGHTS whose stumps can be seen alongside. The original bridge collapsed during a storm in of the city from the Iron Age to the pres- 1879, less than two years after it was built, SIGHTS DUNDEE ent day, including relics of the Tay Bridge taking a train and 75 lives along with it – Disaster and the Dundee whaling indus- the infamous Tay Bridge Disaster. The 1.5- try. Computer geeks will enjoy the Sinclair mile Tay Road Bridge was opened in 1966. ZX81 and Spectrum (pioneering personal Dundee Law is a short walk northwest of the computers with a whole 16K of memory!) city centre, along Constitution Rd. which were made in Dundee in the early 1980s. City Square SIGNIFICANT AREA The heart of Dundee is City Sq, fl anked HM Frigate Unicorn MUSEUM to the south by the 1930s facade of Caird (www.frigateunicorn.org; Victoria Dock; adult/ Hall, which was gifted to the city by a tex- child £5/3; h10am-5pm Apr-Oct, noon-4pm tile magnate and is now home to the City Wed-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun Nov-Mar) Unlike Chambers. A more recent addition to the the polished and much-restored Discovery, square, unveiled in 2001, is a bronze statue Dundee’s other fl oating tourist attraction of Desperate Dan, the lantern-jawed hero retains the authentic atmosphere of a salty of children’s comic the Dandy (he’s clutch- old sailing ship. Built in 1824, the 46-gun ing a copy in his right hand), which has Unicorn is the oldest British-built ship been published in Dundee since 1937. still afl oat – she was mothballed soon after Pedestrianised High St leads west into launching and never saw action. By the mid- Nethergate, fl anked to the north by St 19th century sailing ships were outclassed Mary’s Church. Most of the church dates by steam and the Unicorn served as a gun- from the 19th century, but the Old Steeple powder store, then later as a training vessel. was built around 1460. z Festivals & Events with clean, modern kitchen, pool room, and 228 If you’re around in late July, look out for an ideal location right in the city centre. the Dundee Blues Bonanza (www.dundee Can get a bit noisy at night, but that’s be- bluesbonanza.co.uk), a two-day festival of free cause it’s close to pubs and nightlife. blues, boogie and roots music. Shaftesbury Hotel HOTEL ££ ( %01382-669216; 1 Hyndford St; s/d from

4 Sleeping £55/85; W) The family-run, 12-room Shaft- Most of Dundee’s city-centre hotels are esbury is a Victorian mansion built for a business oriented, and off er lower rates jute baron and has many authentic period on weekends. The main concentrations of features, including a fi ne marble fi replace B&Bs are along Broughty Ferry and Ar- in the dining room. It’s 1.5 miles west of the broath Rds east of the city centre, and on city centre, just off Perth Rd. Perth Rd to the west. If you don’t fancy a night in the city, consider staying at the Aabalree B&B £ nearby seaside town of Broughty Ferry. ( %01382-223867; www.aabalree.com; 20 Union Accommodation in Dundee is usually St; s/d £24/40) This is a pretty basic B&B – booked solid when the Open Golf tourna- there are no en suites – but the owners are ment is staged at Carnoustie or St Andrews – welcoming (don’t be put off by the dark check www.opengolf.com for future dates entrance) and it couldn’t be more central, and venues. close to both train and bus stations. This makes it popular, so book ahead. Balgowan House B&B ££ Grampian Hotel HOTEL ££ ( %01382-200262; www.balgowanhouse.co.uk; (%01382-667785; www.grampianhotel.com; 510 Perth Rd; s/d £63/84; pW) Built in 1900 295 Perth Rd; s/d from £55/70; pW) A small

NORTHEAST SCOTLAND and perched in a prime location with stun- and welcoming hotel set in a restored ning views over the Firth of Tay, Balgowan Victorian town house with six spacious is a wealthy merchant’s mansion convert- bedrooms (all en suite), just five minutes’ ed into a luxurious guesthouse with two walk from the West End. sumptuous en suite bedrooms. It’s 2 miles west of the city centre, overlooking the uni- Aauld Steeple Guest House B&B £ versity botanic gardens. (%01382-200302; www.aauldsteepleguest house.co.uk; 94 Nethergate; s/d £27/44; W) Apex City Quay Hotel HOTEL ££ Just as central as Aabalree, but a bit ( %01382-202404; www.apexhotels.co.uk; 1 West more comfortable, the Aauld Steeple has Victoria Dock Rd; r from £98; pWs) Though spacious double and family rooms, some

DUNDEE & ANGUS it looks plain from the outside, the Apex with views of St Mary’s Church. Suffers a overlooks the city’s redeveloping waterfront bit from street noise, though. and sports the sort of stylish, spacious, sofa-equipped rooms that make you want Riverview Caravan Park CAMPSITE £ to lounge around all evening munching (%01382-535471; www.riverview.co.uk; Marine chocolate in front of the TV. If you can drag Dr, Monifieth; tent or campervan sites £15; yourself away from your room, there are spa hclosed Feb) The nearest camping ground treatments, saunas and Japanese hot tubs to Dundee is attractively sited near the to enjoy. The hotel is just east of the city beach, 5 miles east of the city centre. centre, close to the Frigate Unicorn. 5 Eating Errolbank Guest House B&B ££ Metro BRASSERIE ££ % ( 01382-462118; www.errolbank-guesthouse. o( %0845 365 0002; www.apexhotels.co. com; 9 Dalgleish Rd; s/d £35/58; p) A mile east uk/eat; Apex City Quay Hotel, 1 West Victoria of the city centre, just north of the road to Dock Rd; mains £10-16) Sleek, slate-blue ban- Broughty Ferry, Errolbank is a lovely Vic- quettes, white linen napkins, black-clad torian family home with small but beau- staff and a view of Victoria Dock lend an tifully decorated en suite rooms set on a air of city sophistication to this stylish quiet street. hotel brasserie, with a menu that ranges Dundee Backpackers HOSTEL £ from steaks and burgers to Caribbean ( %01382-224646; www.hoppo.com; 71 High St; jerk chicken with coconut curry. There’s a dm £13-15, s/tw from £25/40; i) New hostel three-course dinner menu for £21.50. Lo- in a beautifully converted historic building, cated just east of the city centre, close to the Frigate Unicorn. Playwright BISTRO ££ Fisher & Donaldson TEAROOM £ ( %01382-223113; www.theplaywright.co.uk; 11 (12 Whitehall St; h6.30am-5pm Mon-Sat) 229 Tay Sq; mains £23-25; h10am-midnight) Next There’s an excellent tearoom in the up- door to the theatre, and decorated with market bakery and patisserie. photos of Scottish actors, this innovative Deep Sea FISH & CHIPS £ cafe-bar and bistro serves a ‘grazing menu’ (81 Nethergate; h9.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat) of light meals (£5 to £8) from noon to 5pm, Dundee’s best fish and chips. a lunch and pre-theatre menu (£17/20 for two/three courses) and a gourmet à la carte Tesco Metro SELF-CATERING £ menu that concentrates on fi ne Scottish (Murraygate; h7am-midnight Mon-Fri, 7am- produce with dishes such as saddle of lamb 10pm Sat, 10am-7pm Sun) with wild mushrooms and roast halibut with shellfi sh sauce. 6 Drinking There are many lively pubs, especially in Jute Cafe-Bar BISTRO ££ the West End and along West Port. (www.jutecafebar.co.uk; Dundee Contemporary Nether Inn PUB Arts, 152 Nethergate; mains lunch £7-11, dinner (134 Nethergate) This large, stylish place, £13-20; h10am-midnight Mon-Sat, noon-mid- with comfy couches, pool table and The industrial-chic cafe-bar in the night Sun) drinks promos, is popular with students. Dundee Contemporary Arts centre serves excellent deli sandwiches and steaks, as Social BAR well as more adventurous Mediterranean- (www.socialanimal.co.uk; 10 South Tay St) A Asian fusion cuisine. Early-bird menu (5pm lively style bar with a separate dining to 6.30pm daily) off ers a two-course din- area. ner for £12. Tables spill out into the sunny Globe BAR NORTHEAST SCOTLAND DUNDEE & ANGUS courtyard in summer. (53-57 West Port; W) Serves good bar meals from noon to 7.30pm (6pm Sunday) and Agacán TURKISH ££ often has live music or sport on the big- ( %01382-644227; 113 Perth Rd; mains £10-16; screen TV. hdinner Tue-Sun) With a charismatic owner, quirky decor and wonderfully aromatic Turkish specialities (Iskender kebab is our 3 Entertainment favourite), it’s no wonder that you have to Dundee’s nightlife may not be as hot as book ahead at this little spot on a corner, Glasgow’s, but there are lots of places to DRINKING a 20 minute walk up Perth Rd from the go – pick up a free what’s-on guide from centre. If you can’t get a table, you can settle the tourist offi ce, or check out the What’s for takeaway. On section of www.dundee.com. Tickets for DRINKINGDUNDEE most events are on sale at the Dundee Con- Dil’se INDIAN ££ temporary Arts centre. (www.dilse-restaurant.co.uk; 99 Perth Rd; mains £8-15; hnoon-2.30pm & 4.30-11pm Sun-Thu, Caird Hall MUSIC, COMEDY noon-2am Fri & Sat) Dundee loves a curry, (www.cairdhall.co.uk; 6 City Sq; hbox offi ce 9am- and nobody does it better than this sleek 4.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-1.30pm Sat) The Caird modern Bangladeshi restaurant most of the Hall hosts regular concerts of classical mu- way up Perth Rd. The bold, contemporary sic, as well as organ recitals, rock bands, approach extends beyond the delicious old dances, comedians, fetes and fairs. Check favourites to new dishes, such as Mas Ban- its website for details of coming events. gla, which brings the subcontinent to Scots Dundee Rep Theatre DRAMA salmon. (www.dundeereptheatre.co.uk; Tay Sq; hbox Rep Theatre Cafe CAFE-BAR ££ offi ce 10am-6pm or start of performance) (www.dundeereptheatre.co.uk; Tay Sq; mains Dundee’s main venue for the performing £9-15; hcafe 10am-late, restaurant noon-3pm & arts, the Rep is home to Scotland’s only full- 5-10pm Mon-Sat) The city’s arty types hang time repertory company and to the Scottish out in this Continental-style cafe-bar and Dance Theatre. restaurant in the foyer at the Dundee Rep Fat Sams CLUB, LIVE MUSIC Theatre. Great sandwiches and pizza, as (www.fatsams.co.uk; 31 South Ward Rd; h11pm- well as tasty steaks, fi shcakes and veggie late) Fat Sams has been around for more dishes. than 20 years but is still one of the city’s most popular clubs, with regular live gigs, Trains from Dundee to Aberdeen (£24, 1¼ 230 DJs and student nights pulling in a young hours) travel via Arbroath and Stonehaven. crowd (including lots of students from St There are around two trains an hour, fewer on Andrews University). Sunday. Reading Rooms CLUB, LIVE MUSIC 8 Getting Around (www.myspace.com/thereadingrooms; 57 Black- The city centre is compact and is easy to get scroft; admission £3-8; h8.30pm or 10.30pm- around on foot. For information on local pub- Dundee’s hippest venue is 2.30am Wed-Sat) lic transport, contact Travel Dundee (www. an arty, bohemian hang-out in a run-down traveldundee.co.uk; Forum Shopping Centre, former library that hosts some of Scot- 92 Commercial St; h9.15am-4.55pm Mon-Fri, land’s best indie club nights. Live gigs have 10am-3.55pm Sat). ranged from island singer-songwriter Colin BUS City bus fares cost 65p to £1.45 depend- MacIntyre (aka Mull Historical Society) to ing on distance; buy your ticket from the driver Ayrshire rock band Biff y Clyro. (exact fare only – no change given). CAR Rental agencies: Information 8 Arnold Clark (%01382-225382; East Dock St) Ninewells Hospital (%01382-660111; National Car Rental (%01382-224037; 45-53 hcasualty 24hr) At Menzieshill, west of the Gellatly St) city centre. TAXI Discovery Taxis (%01382-732111) Tourist office (%01382-527527; www. angusanddundee.co.uk; Discovery Point; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat, noon-4pm Sun Jun-Sep, 10am-4pm Mon-Sat Oct-May) Broughty Ferry Dundee’s attractive seaside suburb, known NORTHEAST SCOTLAND 8 Getting There & Away locally as ‘The Ferry’, lies 4 miles east of AIR Two and a half miles west of the city centre, the city centre. It has a castle, a long, sandy Dundee Airport (www.hial.co.uk/dundee beach and a number of good places to eat -airport) has daily scheduled services to London and drink. It’s also handy for the golf cours- City airport (CityJet), Birmingham and Belfast es at nearby Carnoustie. (FlyBe). Bus 8X runs between the airport and the city centre (fi ve minutes, half-hourly Monday to FBroughty Castle Museum MUSEUM Saturday). A taxi to the airport takes fi ve min- (Castle Green; h10am-4pm Mon-Sat, utes and costs £3.50. 12.30-4pm Sun, closed Mon Oct-Mar) A 16th- BUS National Express (www.nationalexpress. century tower house that looms imposingly over the harbour, guarding the entrance DUNDEE & ANGUS com) operates one direct service a day from London to Dundee (£40, 11 hours). to the Firth of Tay. There’s a fascinating Scottish Citylink (www.citylink.co.uk) has exhibit on Dundee’s whaling industry, and hourly buses from Dundee to Glasgow (£15, the view from the top off ers the chance of 2½ hours), Perth (£8, 35 minutes), Aberdeen spotting seals and dolphins off shore. (£15, 1½ hours) and Edinburgh (£14, two hours, change at Perth); book via www.megabus.com 4 Sleeping for fares as low as £5. Some Aberdeen buses Hotel Broughty Ferry HOTEL ££ travel via Arbroath, others via Forfar. There are ( %01382-480027; www.hotelbroughtyferry.com; also direct buses to Oban (£26, 3½ hours. two 16 W Queen St; s/d £68/88; pWs) It doesn’t daily). look like much from the outside, but this is Stagecoach operates buses to Perth (one the Ferry’s swankiest place to stay, with 16 hour, hourly), Blairgowrie (one hour, hourly), beautifully decorated bedrooms, a sauna Forfar (40 minutes, once or twice an hour), Kirriemuir (one hour, half-hourly), Brechin (1¼ and solarium and a small, heated pool. It’s hours, 10 daily, change at Forfar) and Arbroath only a fi ve-minute stroll from the water- (one hour, half-hourly). Bus 99 runs to St An- front. drews (one hour, every 15 minutes Monday to Invermark House B&B ££ Saturday, hourly on Sunday). ( %01382-739430; www.invermark.co.uk; 23 TRAIN Trains run to Dundee from Edinburgh Monifi eth Rd; s/d from £30/50; pW) Invermark (£20, 1¼ hours) and Glasgow (£23, 1½ hours) at is a grand Victorian villa set in its own least once an hour Monday to Saturday, hourly grounds, built for a jute baron in the mid- on Sunday from Edinburgh, and every two hours on Sunday from Glasgow. 19th century. There are fi ve large en suite PICTISH SYMBOL STONES 231

The mysterious carved stones that dot the landscape of eastern Scotland are the legacy of the warrior tribes who inhabited these lands 2000 years ago. The Romans occupied the southern half of Britain from AD 43 to 410, but the region to the north of the fi rths of Forth and Clyde – known as Caledonia – was abandoned as being too dangerous, sealed off behind the ramparts of the Antonine Wall and Hadrian’s Wall. Caledonia was the homeland of the Picts, a collection of tribes named by the Ro- mans for their habit of painting or tattooing their bodies. In the 9th century they were culturally absorbed by the Scots, leaving behind only a few archaeological remains, a scattering of Pictish place names beginning with ‘Pit’, and hundreds of mysterious carved stones decorated with intricate symbols, mainly in northeast Scotland. The capital of the ancient Southern Pictish kingdom is said to have been at Forteviot in Strathearn; Pictish symbol stones are to be found throughout this area and all the way up the eastern coast of Scotland into Sutherland and Caithness. It is thought that the stones were set up to record Pictish lineages and alliances, but no-one is sure exactly how the system worked. They are decorated with unusual sym- bols, including z-rods (lightning bolt?), circles (the sun?), double discs (hand mirror?) and fantastical creatures, as well as fi gures of warriors on horseback, hunting scenes and (on the later stones) Christian symbols. Local tourist offi ces provide a free leafl et titled the Angus Pictish Trail, which will guide you to the main Pictish sites in the area. The fi nest assemblage of stones in their natural outdoor setting is at Aberlemno (see the boxed text, p 234 ), and there are excellent indoor collections at St Vigeans Museum (p 232 ) and the Meigle Museum NORTHEAST SCOTLAND DUNDEE & ANGUS (p 222 ). The Pictavia interpretive centre at Brechin (p 237 ) provides a good introduc- tion to the Picts and is worth a look before you visit the stones. The Pictish Trail by Anthony Jackson lists 11 driving tours, while The Symbol Stones of Scotland by the same author provides more detail on the history and meaning of the Pictish stones.

bedrooms and an elegant lounge and din- front around the corner from the Fisher- EATING & DRINKING ing room with a view of the gardens. man’s is the snug, wood-panelled, 19th- century Ship Inn, which serves top-notch

Ashley House B&B ££ EATING & DRINKING FERRY BROUGHTY dishes ranging from gourmet haddock and ( %01382-776109; www.ashleyhousebroughtyfer chips to venison steaks; you can eat in the ry.com; 15 Monifi eth Rd; per person £30-35; pW) upstairs restaurant, or down in the bar (bar This spacious and comfortable guesthouse meals £7 to £9). It’s always busy, so get has long been one of Broughty Ferry’s best. there early to grab a seat. Its four cheerfully decorated bedrooms come equipped with hotel-grade beds and Fisherman’s Tavern PUB £ DVD player; one has a particularly grand (10-16 Fort St; mains £6-12; hfood noon-2.30pm bathroom. & 5-7.30pm) The Fisherman’s – a maze of cosy nooks and open fi replaces in a 17th- Fisherman’s Tavern B&B ££ century cottage – is a lively little pub where ( %01382-775941; www.fi shermanstavern.co.uk; you can wash down smoked haddock fi sh- 10-16 Fort St; s/d £39/64) A delightful 17th- cakes or steak and chips with a choice of century terraced cottage just a few paces Scottish real ales. from the seafront, the Fisherman’s was converted into a pub in 1827. It now has 11 Visocchi’s CAFE £ stylishly modern rooms, most with en suite, (40 Gray St; mains £7-10; h9.30am-5pm Tue, and an atmospheric pub (see p231 ). 9.30am-8pm Wed, Thu & Sun, 9.30am-1pm Fri & Sat) Visocchi’s – a 70-year-old institution – 5 Eating & Drinking is a traditional, family-run Italian cafe that Ship Inn PUB, RESTAURANT ££ sells delicious homemade ice cream, good (www.theshipinn-broughtyferry.co.uk; 121 Fisher coff ee and a range of burgers, pizzas and St; mains £10-18; hfood noon-2pm & 5-10.30pm pasta dishes. Mon-Fri, noon-10.30pm Sat & Sun) On the sea- 8 Getting There & Away 232 Arbroath City bus 5 and Stagecoach bus 73 run from POP 22,800 Dundee High St to Broughty Ferry (20 minutes) Arbroath is an old-fashioned seaside re- several times an hour from Monday to Saturday, sort and fi shing harbour, home of the fa- and hourly on Sunday. mous Arbroath smokie (a form of smoked haddock). The humble smokie achieved European Union ‘Protected Geographical Glamis Castle & Village Indication’ status in 2004 – the term ‘Ar- Looking every inch the Scottish Baronial broath smokie’ can be only be used legally castle, with its roofl ine sprouting a forest to describe haddock smoked in the tradi- of pointed turrets and battlements, Glamis tional manner within an 8km radius of Ar- Castle (www.glamis-castle.co.uk; adult/child broath. No visit is complete without buying £8.75/6; h10am-6pm mid-Mar–Oct, 10.30am- a pair of smokies from one of the many fi sh 4.30pm Nov & Dec, closed Jan–mid-Mar) claims shops and eating them with your fi ngers to be the legendary setting for Shake- while sitting beside the harbour. Yum. speare’s Macbeth. A royal residence since 1372, it is the family home of the earls of 1 Sights Strathmore and Kinghorne – the Queen Arbroath Abbey ABBEY Mother (born Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon; 1900– (HS; Abbey St; adult/child £4.70/2.80; h9.30am- 2002) spent her childhood at Glamis (pro- 5.30pm Apr-Sep, 9.30am-4.30pm Oct-Mar) The nounced ‘glams’) and Princess Margaret magnifi cent, red-sandstone ruins of Ar- (the Queen’s sister; 1930–2002) was born broath Abbey, founded in 1178 by King Wil- here. liam the Lion, dominate the town centre. The fi ve-storey, L-shaped castle was It is thought that Bernard of Linton, the NORTHEAST SCOTLAND given to the Lyon family in 1372, but was abbot here in the early 14th century, wrote signifi cantly altered in the 17th century. the famous Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, Inside, the most impressive room is the asserting Scotland’s right to independence drawing room, with its vaulted plaster- from England (see the boxed text, p 445 ). work ceiling. There’s a display of armour You can climb to the top of one of the tow- and weaponry in the haunted crypt and ers for a grand view over the town. frescoes in the chapel (also haunted). Dun- can’s Hall is named for the murdered King St Vigeans Museum MUSEUM

Duncan from Macbeth (though the scene (HS; St Vigeans Lane; adult/child £3.70/2.20; actually takes place in Macbeth’s castle h10am-5pm Tue-Thu, Sat & Sun Apr-Oct, 11am- 1pm Tue-Thu, Sat & Sun Nov-Mar) About a

DUNDEE & ANGUS in Inverness). As with Cawdor Castle, the mile north of the town centre, this cot- claimed Shakespeare connection is fi cti- tage museum houses a superb collection tious – the real Macbeth had nothing to do of Pictish and medieval sculptured stones. with either castle, and died long before ei- The museum’s masterpiece is the ther was built. Drosten , beautifully carved with animal fi g- You can also look around the royal apart- Stone ures and hunting scenes on one side, and ments, including the Queen Mother’s bed- an interlaced Celtic cross on the other (look room. The one-hour guided tours depart for the devil perched in the top left corner). every 15 minutes (last tour at 4.30pm, or 3.30pm in winter). Arbroath Museum MUSEUM The Angus Folk Museum (NTS; Kirkwynd, F(Ladyloan; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat year- Glamis; adult/child £5.50/4.50; hnoon-5pm daily round, plus 2-5pm Sun Jul & Aug) This museum Jul & Aug, noon-5pm Sat & Sun only Easter-Jun, is housed in the elegant Signal Tower that Sep & Oct), in a row of 18th-century cottages was once used to communicate with the just off the fl ower-bedecked square in Gla- construction team working on the Bell Rock mis village, houses a fi ne collection of do- Lighthouse 12 miles off shore. It was under- mestic and agricultural relics. going refurbishment at the time of research, Glamis Castle is 12 miles north of but will reopen in summer 2011 with new Dundee. There are two to four buses a day displays dedicated to Arbroath’s maritime from Dundee (35 minutes) to Glamis; some heritage and the Bell Rock lighthouse, which continue to Kirriemuir. was built between 1807 and 1811 by the famous engineer Robert Stevenson (grand- father of writer Robert Louis Stevenson). 2 Activities pancakes are recommended – plus great The coast northeast of Arbroath consists of homemade cakes and desserts. Best to book. 233 dramatic red-sandstone cliff s riven by in- Smithie’s CAFE £ lets, caves and natural arches. An excellent (16 Keptie St; mains £3-6; h9.30am-4.30pm clifftop walk (leafl et from the tourist offi ce) Mon-Fri, 9.30am-4pm Sat) Housed in a for- follows the coast for 3 miles to the quaint mer butcher’s shop, with hand-painted tiles fi shing village of Auchmithie, which claims and meat hooks on the ceiling, Smithie’s is to have invented the Arbroath smokie. a great little neighbourhood deli and cafe If you fancy catching your own fi sh, serving Fairtrade coff ee, pancakes, wraps the Marie Dawn (%01241-873957) and Girl and freshly made pasta – butternut squash Katherine II (%01241-874510) off er three- and sage tortellini make a tasty change from hour sea-angling trips (usually from 2pm to macaroni cheese for a vegetarian lunch. 5pm) out of Arbroath harbour for £15 per person, including tackle and bait. Sugar & Spice Tearoom CAFE £ (www.sugarandspiceshop.co.uk; 9-13 High St; 4 Sleeping mains £5-9; h10am-5pm Mon-Thu, 10am-9pm Fri Harbour Nights Guest House B&B ££ & Sat, noon-7pm Sun, longer hours Jun-Sep; c) ( %01241-434343; www.harbournights-scotland. With its fl ounces, frills and black-and-white com; 4 The Shore; s/d from £45/60) With a su- uniformed waitresses, this chintzy tearoom perb location overlooking the harbour, fi ve verges on the twee. However, the place is stylishly decorated bedrooms and a gour- very child-friendly – there’s an indoor play met breakfast menu, Harbour Nights is our area and a Wendy (play) house out the back – favourite place to stay in Arbroath. Rooms and the tea and scones are sublime. You can 2 and 3, with harbour views, are a bit more even try an Arbroath smokie, grilled with expensive (doubles £70 to £80), but well lemon butter. NORTHEAST SCOTLAND DUNDEE & ANGUS worth asking for when booking. 8 Information Old Vicarage B&B ££ Visitor centre & tourist office (%01241- ( %01241-430475; www.theoldvicaragebandb. 872609; Fishmarket Quay; h9.30am-5.30pm co.uk; 2 Seaton Rd; s/d from £55/80; pW) Mon-Sat, 10am-3pm Sun Jun-Aug, 9am-5pm The three fi ve-star bedrooms in this at- Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat Apr, May & Sep, 9am- tractive Victorian villa have a pleasantly 5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat Oct-Mar) Beside

old-fashioned atmosphere, and the exten- the harbour. ACTIVITIES sive breakfast menu includes Arbroath Coldroom Computers (15 Westport; per 15 smokies. The house is on a quiet street min 50p; h10am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, noon-4pm ACTIVITIESARBROATH close to the start of the cliff top walk to Sat; i) Internet access. Auchmithie. 8 Getting There & Away

5 Eating BUS Bus 140 runs from Arbroath to Auchmithie Gordon’s Restaurant SCOTTISH £££ (15 minutes, six daily Monday to Friday, three ( %01241-830364; www.gordonsrestaurant.co.uk; daily on Saturday and Sunday). Main St, Inverkeillor; 3-course lunch £37, 4-course dinner £45; hnoon-1.45pm Wed-Sun, 7-9pm Tue- Sun) Six miles north of Arbroath, in the THE FORFAR BRIDIE tiny and unpromising-looking village of Forfar, the county town of Angus, is Inverkeillor, lies this hidden gem – an in- the home of Scotland’s answer to the timate and rustic eatery serving gourmet- Cornish pasty: the famous Forfar bri- quality Scottish cuisine. There are three die. A shortcrust pastry turnover fi lled comfortable bedrooms (single/double from with cooked minced beef, onion and £75/90) for those who don’t want to drive gravy, it was invented in Forfar in the back to a hotel after dinner. early 19th century. If you fancy trying But’n’Ben Restaurant SCOTTISH ££ one, head for James McLaren & Son ( %01241-877223; 1 Auchmithie; mains £8-15; (8 The Cross, Forfar; h8am-4.30pm Mon- hlunch & dinner Wed-Sat, lunch Sun, dinner Mon) Wed, Fri & Sat, 8am-1pm Thu), a family Above the harbour in Auchmithie, this cosy, bakery bang in the centre of Forfar, tartan-clad cottage restaurant serves the which has been selling tasty, home- best of local seafood – the Arbroath smokie baked bridies since 1893. TRAIN Trains from Dundee to Arbroath Prettier than Montrose’s town beach, the 234 (£4.50, 20 minutes, two per hour) continue to 2-mile strand of Lunan Bay to the south Aberdeen (£19, 55 minutes) via Montrose and is overlooked by the dramatic ruin of Red Stonehaven. Castle. Montrose lies on the Dundee to Aber- deen railway line. Montrose POP 11,800 Despite its seaside setting, broad main Kirriemuir street of Victorian buildings and reputation POP 6000 as a golfi ng resort, Montrose exudes an aus- Known as the Wee Red Town because of its tere and slightly down-at-heel atmosphere. close-packed, red-sandstone houses, Kir- It sits at the mouth of the River South Esk, riemuir is famed as the birthplace of JM where its industrial harbour serves the Barrie (1860–1937), writer and creator of North Sea oil industry; and is backed by the the much-loved Peter Pan. A bronze statue broad, tidal mud fl ats of Montrose Basin, a of the ‘boy who wouldn’t grow up’ graces rich feeding ground for thousands of resi- the intersection of Bank and High Sts. dent and migrant birds. The tourist offi ce is in the Gateway to the At the southern edge of town, Mon- Glens Museum. trose Basin Visitor Centre (www.montrose basin.org.uk; Rossie Braes; adult/child £4/3; 1 Sights h10.30am-5pm Mar-Oct, 10.30am-4pm Fri-Sun JM Barrie’s Birthplace (NTS; 9 Brechin Rd; Nov-Feb) has indoor and outdoor hides, adult/child £5.50/4.50; h11am-5pm Jul & Aug, and viewing platforms with high-powered noon-5pm Sat-Wed Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct) is the NORTHEAST SCOTLAND binoculars and remote-controlled TV town’s big attraction, a place of pilgrimage cameras where you can zoom in on the for Peter Pan fans from all over the world. local wildlife. In summer you can see The two-storey house where Barrie was curlews, oystercatchers and eider ducks – born has been furnished in period style, and perhaps an otter if you’re lucky – and and preserves Barrie’s writing desk and in autumn the basin is invaded by huge the wash house at the back that served as fl ocks of pink-footed and greylag geese. his fi rst ‘theatre’. The ticket also gives ad- The birdwatching is best from two hours mission to the Camera Obscura (adult/child after high tide till two hours before the Camera Obscura only £3/2; hnoon-5pm Mon-Sat, next high tide – check times at any tour- 1-5pm Sun Jul-Sep, noon-5pm Sat & 1-5pm Sun ist offi ce.

DUNDEE & ANGUS Easter-Jun) on the hilltop northeast of the town centre, given to the town by Barrie himself. The old Town House opposite the Peter THE ABERLEMNO STONES Pan statue dates from 1604 and houses the Gateway to the Glens Museum (32 High St; Five miles northeast of Forfar, on the admission free; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat Apr-Sep, B9134, are the mysterious Aber- closed Thu am Oct-Mar & Sun), a useful introduc- lemno stones, some of Scotland’s tion to local history, geology and wildlife for fi nest Pictish symbol stones. By the those planning to explore the Angus Glens. roadside there are three 7th- to 9th- For generations of local school kids, the century slabs with various symbols, big treat when visiting Kirriemuir was a including the z-rod and double disc, trip to the Star Rock Shop (27-29 Roods). Es- and in the churchyard at the bot- tablished in 1833, it still specialises in tra- tom of the hill there’s a magnifi cent ditional Scottish ‘sweeties’ (candy), ranged 8th-century stone displaying a Celtic in colourful jars along the walls – humbugs, cross, interlace decoration, entwined tablet, cola cubes, pear drops, and the origi- beasts and, on the reverse, scenes of nal Star Rock, still made to an 1833 recipe. the Battle of Nechtansmere (where the Picts vanquished the Northumbri- 4 Sleeping & Eating ans in 685). The stones are covered Airlie Arms Hotel HOTEL ££ up from November to March; other- ( %01575-572847; www.theairliearms.co.uk; St wise there’s free access at all times. Malcolm’s Wynd; s/d £45/75; p) This attrac- tive old coaching inn, just a few minutes’ to the Airlie monument on Tulloch Hill walk from the tourist offi ce, has been re- (380m); start from the eastern road, about 235 cently revamped with modern, stylish en a mile beyond Dykehead. suite rooms and a candle-lit restaurant From Glenprosen Lodge, at the head of called the Wynd (mains £8-14; h5-9pm Wed- the glen, a 9-mile walk along the Kilbo Path Fri, noon-9pm Sat & Sun). leads over a pass between Mayar (928m) and Driesh (947m), and descends to Glen- 88 Degrees CAFE, DELI £ doll Lodge at the head of Glen Clova (allow (17 High St; mains £3-6; h9am-5pm) A new cafe fi ve hours). and deli that serves superb coff ee (named % for the ideal temperature of an espresso), Prosen Hostel ( 01575-540238; www.pro delicious cakes and handmade chocolates. senhostel.co.uk; per person £18; hyear round; i is an 18-bed bunkhouse with excellent Breakfast till 10.30am and light lunches till ) facilities (including a red-squirrel viewing 2.30pm. area in the lounge). It’s 7 miles up the glen, just beyond Prosen village, but there’s no 8 Getting There & Away public transport. Stagecoach bus 20 runs from Dundee to Kir- riemuir (£5.30, one hour, hourly Monday to GLEN CLOVA Saturday, every two hours Sunday) via Glamis The longest and loveliest of the Angus (20 minutes, two daily Monday to Saturday) and Glens stretches north from Kirriemuir for Forfar (25 minutes). 20 miles, broad and pastoral in its lower reaches but growing narrower and craggier as the steep, heather-clad Highland hills Angus Glens close in around its head.

The northern part of Angus is bounded by The minor road beyond the Glen Clova NORTHEAST SCOTLAND DUNDEE & ANGUS the Grampian Mountains, where fi ve scenic Hotel ends at a Forestry Commission car glens – Isla, Prosen, Clova, Lethnot and park with toilets and a picnic area, which Esk – cut into the hills along the southern is the trailhead for a number of strenuous edge of the Cairngorms National Park. All walks through the hills to the north. have attractive scenery, though each glen Jock’s Road is an ancient footpath that has its own distinct personality: Glen Clova was much used by cattle drovers, soldiers, and Glenesk are the most beautiful, while smugglers and shepherds in the 18th and

Glen Lethnot is the least frequented. You 19th centuries; 700 Jacobite soldiers passed & EATING SLEEPING can get detailed information on walks in this way during their retreat in 1746, en the Angus Glens from the tourist offi ce in route to fi nal defeat at Culloden. From the Kirriemuir and from the Glen Clova Hotel car park the path strikes west along Glen & EATING SLEEPING ANGUS GLENS in Glen Clova. Doll, then north across a high plateau Since the withdrawal of the postbus ser- (900m) before descending steeply into Glen vice, there is no public transport to the An- Callater and on to Braemar (15 miles; allow gus glens other than a limited school-bus fi ve to seven hours). The route is hard go- service along Glen Clova; ask at the tourist ing and should not be attempted in winter; offi ce in Kirremuir or Dundee for details. you’ll need OS 1:50,000 maps, numbers 43 and 44. G L E N I S L A An easier, but still strenuous, circular At Bridge of Craigisla at the foot of the walk starts from the Glen Clova Hotel, glen is a spectacular, 24m waterfall called making a circuit of the scenic corrie (glacial Reekie Linn; the name Reekie (Scottish for hollow) that encloses Loch Brandy (6 miles, ‘smoky’) comes from the billowing spray four hours). that rises from the falls. Glen Clova Hotel (%01575- A 5-mile walk beyond the road end at o550350; www.clova.com; Glen Clova; Auchavan leads into the wild and moun- s/d £60/90; p) is a lovely old drover’s inn tainous upper reaches of the glen, where the near the head of the glen and a great place Caenlochan National Nature Reserve pro- to get away from it all. As well as 10 comfort- tects rare alpine fl ora on the high plateau. able, country-style, en suite rooms (one with a four-poster bed), it has a bunkhouse out GLEN PROSEN the back (£14 per person), a rustic, stone- Near the foot of Glen Prosen, 6 miles north fl oored climbers’ bar with a roaring log fi re, of Kirriemuir, there’s a good forest walk up and a bay-windowed restaurant (mains £8- 13; hnoon-8.15pm Sun-Thu, noon-8.45pm Fri & laid out the castle’s beautiful pleasance in 236 Sat) with views across the glen. The menu 1604 as a place of contemplation and learn- includes cock-a-leekie soup, venison in ing. Unique in all of Scotland, this Renais- Drambuie sauce, and lamb and rosemary la- sance walled garden is lined with niches for sagne, and there are separate children’s and nesting birds, and sculptured plaques il- vegetarian menus. lustrating the cardinal virtues, the arts and the planetary deities. G L E N L E T H N O T Two miles north of Edzell, the B966 to This glen is noted for the Brown & White Fettercairn crosses the River North Esk at Caterthuns – two extraordinary Iron Age Gannochy Bridge. From the lay-by just over hill forts, defended by ramparts and ditch- the bridge, a blue-painted wooden door in es, perched on twin hilltops at its southern the stone wall gives access to a delightful end. A minor road crosses the pass between footpath that leads along the wooded river the two summits, and it’s an easy walk to ei- gorge for 1.5 miles to a scenic spot known as ther fort from the parking area in the pass; the Rocks of Solitude. both are superb viewpoints. If you don’t Alexandra Lodge (%01365-648266; www. have a car, you can walk there from Brechin alexandralodge.co.uk; Inveriscandye Rd; s/d (6 miles) or from Edzell (5 miles). £45/70; p) is an attractive Edwardian villa with comfortable bedrooms and a lovely G L E N E S K wood-panelled lounge, while the Panmure The most easterly of the Angus Glens, Glen- Arms Hotel (%01365-648950; www.panmure esk, runs for 15 miles from Edzell to lovely armshotel.co.uk; 52 High St; s/d from £55/80; p) Loch Lee, surrounded by beetling cliff s and is a pretty, mock-Tudor place serving excel- waterfalls. Ten miles up the glen from Ed- lent bar meals (£11 to £15) from noon till

NORTHEAST SCOTLAND zell is Glenesk Folk Museum (The Retreat; 2pm Monday to Friday and noon till 9pm adult/child £2/1; hnoon-6pm daily Jun–mid-Oct, Saturday and Sunday. noon-6pm Sat & Sun only Easter-May; W), an old Bus 29 or 29A from Brechin to Lau- shooting lodge that houses a fascinating rencekirk stops at Edzell (15 minutes, seven collection of antiques and artefacts docu- a day Monday to Friday, fi ve on Saturday). menting the local culture of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. It also has a tearoom, restaurant and gift shop, and has public in- ternet access. Brechin Five miles further on, the public road POP 7200 The name of the local football team, Bre- ends at Invermark Castle, an impres-

DUNDEE & ANGUS chin City, proclaims this diminutive town’s sive ruined tower guarding the southern main claim to fame – as the seat of approach to the Mounth, a hill track to Bre- (now demoted to a parish Deeside. chin Cathedral church) it has the right to call itself a city, albeit the smallest one in Scotland. Adja- cent to the cathedral is a 32m-high round Edzell tower built around 1000 as part of a Celtic POP 785 monastery. It is of a type often seen in Ire- The picturesque village of Edzell, with its land, but one of only three that survive in broad main street and grandiose monu- Scotland. Its elevated doorway, 2m above mental arch, dates from the early 19th the ground, has carvings of animals, saints century when Lord Panmure decided and a crucifi x. that the original medieval village, a mile Housed nearby in the 18th-century for- to the west, spoiled the view from Edzell mer town hall, court room and prison, Castle. The old village was razed and the Brechin Town House Museum (St Ninian’s villagers moved to this pretty, planned Sq; admission free; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat Apr- settlement. Sep, 10am-5pm Mon, Tue & Thu-Sat, 10am-1pm Lord Panmure’s predecessors as owners Wed Nov-Mar) records the history of the of Edzell Castle (HS; adult/child £4.70/2.80; round tower, cathedral and town. h9.30am-5.30pm Apr-Sep, to 4.30pm Oct, The town’s (OK, city’s) picturesque Vic- 9.30am-4.30pm Sat-Wed Nov-Mar) were the torian train station dates from 1897 and is Lindsay earls of Crawford, who built this now the terminus of the restored Caledo- 16th-century L-plan tower house. Sir David nian Railway (www.caledonianrailway.com; 2 Lindsay, a cultured and well-travelled man, Park Rd), which runs steam trains (adult/ there are hotels, restaurants and clubs with child £5/3 return) along a 3.5-mile stretch prices to match the depth of oil-wealthy 237 of track to Bridge of Dun. Trains run on pockets. Fortunately, most of the cultural Sunday from late May to mid-September, attractions, such as the excellent Maritime on Saturday in July and August, and at Eas- Museum and the Aberdeen Art Gallery, are ter and Christmas. From Bridge of Dun, it’s free. a 15-minute signposted walk to the House Known throughout Scotland as the gran- of Dun (NTS; adult/child £8.50/5.50; h11am- ite city, much of the town was built using 5pm Jul & Aug, noon-5pm Wed-Sun Apr-Jun, Sep silvery grey granite hewn from the now & Oct), a beautiful Georgian country house abandoned Rubislaw Quarry, at one time built in 1730. the biggest artifi cial hole in the ground in Adjoining Brechin Castle Centre (a Europe. On a sunny day the granite lends gardening and horse-riding centre on an attractive glitter to the city, but when the A90 just west of Brechin) is Pictavia low, grey rain clouds scud in off the North (www.pictavia.org.uk; adult/child £3.25/2.25; Sea it can be hard to tell where the build- h9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 10.30am-5.30pm ings stop and the sky begins. Sun Easter-mid Oct, 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 10am- Royal Deeside is easily accessible to the 5pm Sun mid-Oct-Easter), an interpretive west, Dunnottar Castle to the south, sandy centre telling the story of the Picts, and beaches to the north and whisky country to explaining current theories about the the northwest. mysterious carved symbol stones they left behind. It’s worth making a trip here History before going to see the Pictish stones at Aberdeen was a prosperous trading and Aberlemno. fi shing port centuries before oil became a

valuable commodity. After the townspeople NORTHEAST SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE & MORAY Getting There & Away supported Robert the Bruce against the 8 English at the Battle of Bannockburn in Scottish Citylink buses between Dundee and 1314, the king rewarded the town with land Aberdeen stop at Clerk St in Brechin. Stage- for which he had previously received rent. coach buses depart from South Esk St heading The rental income was used to establish the to Forfar (30 minutes, hourly), Aberlemno (15 minutes, six a day) and Edzell. Common Good Fund, to be spent on town amenities, a fund that survives to this day: Bus 24 links Brechin and Stonehaven (55 minutes, three daily Sunday to Friday, fi ve on it helped to fi nance Marischal College, the Saturday). Central Library, the art gallery and the hos- pital, and also pays for the colourful fl oral displays that have won the city numerous & EATING SLEEPING ABERDEEN

awards. & EATING SLEEPING ABERDEENSHIRE & The name Aberdeen is a combination of MORAY two Pictish-Gaelic words, aber and devana, meaning ‘the meeting of two waters’. The Since medieval times Aberdeenshire and area was known to the Romans, and was its northwestern neighbour Moray have raided by the Vikings when it was already been the richest and most fertile regions of an important port trading in wool, fi sh, the Highlands. Aberdeenshire is famed for hides and fur. By the 18th century paper- its Aberdeen Angus beef cattle, its many and rope-making, whaling and textile man- fi ne castles and the prosperous ‘granite ufacture were the main industries, and in city’ of Aberdeen. Moray’s main attrac- the 19th century it became a major herring- tions are the Speyside whisky distilleries fi shing centre. that line the valley of the River Spey and Since the 1970s Aberdeen has been the its tributaries. main focus of the UK’s off shore oil industry, home to oil company offi ces, engineering yards, a bustling harbour fi lled with supply Aberdeen ships, and the world’s busiest civilian heli- POP 197,300 port. Unemployment rates, once among the Aberdeen is the powerhouse of the north- highest in the country, are now among the east, fuelled by the North Sea petroleum lowest. industry. Oil money has made the city as expensive as London and Edinburgh, and 1 2 3 4

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l A 1 2 3 Aberdeen 4 666 666 666 Sights Aberdeen Maritime Museum 1 F 239 City Centre MUSEUM Union St is the city’s main thoroughfare, (www.aagm.co.uk; Shiprow; h10am-5pm Mon- lined with solid, Victorian granite build- Sat, noon-3pm Sun) Overlooking the nauti- ings. The oldest area is Castlegate, at the cal bustle of the harbour is the Maritime eastern end, where the castle once stood. Museum. Centred on a three-storey replica When it was captured from the English of a North Sea oil production platform, its for Robert the Bruce, the password used by exhibits explain all you ever wanted to the townspeople was ‘Bon Accord’, which is know about the petroleum industry. Other now the city’s motto. galleries, some situated in Provost Ross’s In the centre of Castle St stands the 17th- House, the oldest building in the city and century Mercat Cross, bearing a sculpted part of museum, cover the shipbuilding, frieze of portraits of Stuart monarchs. The whaling and fi shing industries. Sleek and Baronial heap towering over the eastern speedy Aberdeen clippers were a 19th- end of Castle St is the Salvation Army century shipyard speciality, used by Brit- Citadel, which was modelled on Balmoral ish merchants for the importation of tea, Castle. wool and exotic goods (opium, for instance) On the northern side of Union St, 300m to Britain, and, on the return journey, the west of Castlegate, is St Nicholas Church, transportation of emigrants to Australia. the so-called ‘Mither Kirk’ (Mother Aberdeen Art Gallery ART GALLERY Church) of Aberdeen. The granite spire F(www.aagm.co.uk; Schoolhill; h10am- dates from the 19th century, but there has 5pm Tue-Sat, 2-5pm Sun) Behind the grand been a church on this site since the 12th facade of Aberdeen Art Gallery is a cool, century; the early 15th-century St Mary’s marble-lined space exhibiting the work of Chapel survives in the eastern part of the contemporary Scottish and English paint- NORTHEAST SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE & MORAY church. ers, such as Gwen Hardie, Stephen Conroy, Trevor Sutton and Tim Ollivier. There are Aberdeen

æ Top Sights 16 Moonfish Café...... E2 Aberdeen Maritime Museum ...... F2 17 Musa Art Cafe ...... E3 Aberdeen Art Gallery...... D2 18 Poldino's ...... D2 Marischal College & Museum ...... E1 19 Victoria Restaurant...... D3

Provost Skene's House...... E1 SIGHTS ABERDEEN û Drinking SIGHTS æ Sights 20 Cameron's...... D2 1 Fish Market...... G4 21 Globe Inn ...... C2 2 Mercat Cross...... F1 Lemon Tree Cafe...... (see 27) 3 Provost Ross's House ...... F2 22 Old Blackfriars ...... F2 4 Salvation Army Citadel ...... G1 23 Prince of Wales...... E2 5 St Nicholas Church...... E2 ý Entertainment ÿ Sleeping 24 Aberdeen Arts 6 Aberdeen Douglas Hotel...... E3 Centre ...... F1 7 Arden Guest House ...... D4 Aberdeen Box Office...... (see 28) 8 Brentwood Hotel...... D4 25 Belmont Cinema...... D2 9 City Wharf Apartments...... G2 26 His Majesty's Theatre...... C2 Globe Inn...... (see 21) 27 Lemon Tree Theatre ...... F1 10 Jurys Inn...... E3 28 Music Hall...... C3 11 Royal Crown Guest House...... D4 29 O'Neill's...... D2 30 Snafu...... F2 ú Eating 31 Tunnels ...... E2 12 Beautiful Mountain ...... D2 32 Vue Cinema...... F2 13 Café 52 ...... E2 14 Foyer...... D4 þ Shopping 15 Howie's...... B3 33 One Up Records...... D2 also several landscapes by Joan Eardley, medieval turreted town house occupied in 240 who lived in a cottage on the cliff s near the 17th century by the provost (the Scottish Stonehaven in the 1950s and ’60s and equivalent of a mayor) Sir George Skene. It painted tempestuous oils of the North Sea was also occupied for six weeks by the Duke and poignant portraits of slum children. of Cumberland on his way to Culloden in Among the Pre-Raphaelite works upstairs, 1746. The tempera-painted ceiling with its look out for the paintings of Aberdeen art- religious symbolism, dating from 1622, is ist William Dyce (1806–64), ranging from unusual for having survived the depreda- religious works to rural scenes. tions of the Reformation. It’s a period gem Downstairs is a large, empty, circular featuring earnest-looking angels, soldiers white room, with fi sh-scaled balustrades and St Peter with crowing cockerels. evoking the briny origins of Aberdeen’s Gordon Highlanders Museum wealth, commemorating the 165 people MILITARY MUSEUM who lost their lives in the Piper Alpha oil- (www.gordonhighlanders.com; St Lukes, View- rig disaster in 1988. fi eld Rd; adult/child £5/2; h10.30am-4.30pm FMarischal College & Museum Tue-Sat, 12.30-4.30pm Sun Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm MUSEUM Tue-Sat Oct, Nov, Feb & Mar) The excellent (www.abdn.ac.uk/marischal_museum; Marischal Gordon Highlanders Museum records the College, Broad St; h10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 2-5pm history of one of the British Army’s most Sun) Across Broad St from Provost Skene’s famous fi ghting units, described by Win- House is Marischal College, founded in ston Churchill as ‘the fi nest regiment in the 1593 by the 5th Earl Marischal, and merged world’. Originally raised in the northeast of with King’s College (founded 1495) in 1860 Scotland by the 4th Duke of Gordon in 1794, to create the modern University of Aber- the regiment was amalgamated with the NORTHEAST SCOTLAND deen. The huge and impressive facade in Seaforths and Camerons to form the High- Perpendicular Gothic style – unusual in landers regiment in 1994. The museum is having such elaborate masonry hewn from about a mile west of the western end of notoriously hard-to-work granite – dates Union St – take bus 14 or 15 from Union St. from 1906 and is the world’s second-largest granite structure (after L’Escorial near Ma- Aberdeen Harbour drid). At the time of research the building Aberdeen has a busy, working harbour was being converted into Aberdeen City crowded with survey vessels and supply Council’s new headquarters. ships servicing the off shore oil installa- Founded in 1786, the Marischal Muse- tions, and car ferries bound for Orkney and

ABERDEENSHIRE &ABERDEENSHIRE MORAY um houses a fascinating collection of mate- Shetland. From dawn until about 8am the rial donated by graduates and friends of the colourful fish market on Albert Basin oper- university over the centuries. In one room, ates as it has done for centuries. the history of northeastern Scotland is de- Aberdeen Beach picted through its myths, customs, famous Just 800m east of Castlegate is a spectacu- people, architecture and trade. The other lar 2-mile sweep of clean, golden sand gallery gives an anthropological overview stretching between the mouths of the Rivers of the world, incorporating objects from Dee and Don. At one time Aberdeen Beach vastly diff erent cultures, arranged themati- was a good, old-fashioned British seaside cally (Polynesian wooden masks alongside resort, but the availability of cheap package gas masks and so on). There are the usual holidays has lured Scottish holiday makers Victorian curios, an Inuit kayak found in away from its somewhat chilly delights. On the local river estuary in the 18th century a warm summer’s day, though, it’s still an and Inuit objects collected by whalers. At excellent beach. When the waves are right, the time of research, the museum was a small group of dedicated surfers ride the closed to the public during building work, breaks at the south end. but will reopen sometime in 2011. The Esplanade sports several traditional Provost Skene’s House seaside attractions, including Codona’s F HISTORIC BUILDING Amusement Park (www.codonas.com; Beach (www.aagm.co.uk; Guestrow; h10am-5pm Mon- Blvd; all-day wristband £12; h11am-6pm Jul Sat) Surrounded by concrete and glass offi ce & Aug, check website rest of year, closed Nov- blocks in what was once the worst slum in Easter), complete with stomach-churning Aberdeen is Provost Skene’s House, a late- waltzers, dodgems, a roller coaster, log fl ume and haunted house. The adjacent which has 48 shields of kings, nobles, arch- Sunset Boulevard (www.codonas.com; Beach bishops and bishops. Sunday services are 241 Blvd; all-day wristband £12; h10am-midnight) is held at 11am and 6pm. the indoor alternative, with tenpin bowling, dodgems, arcade games and pool tables. 4 Sleeping Halfway between the beach and the city There are clusters of B&Bs on Bon Ac- centre is Satrosphere (%01224-640340; cord St and Springbank Tce (both 400m www.satrosphere.net; 179 Constitution St; adult/ southwest of the train station) and along child £5.75/4.50; h10am-5pm), a hands-on, Great Western Rd (the A93, a 25-minute interactive science centre. walk southwest of the city centre). They’re You can get away from the funfair atmo- usually more expensive than the Scottish sphere by walking north towards the more average and, with so many oil industry secluded part of the beach. There’s a bird- workers staying the night before fl ying watching hide on the south bank of the off shore, single rooms are at a premium. River Don, between the beach and King St, Prices tend to be lower on weekends. which leads back south towards Old Aber- City Wharf Apartments deen. o SERVICED APARTMENTS ££ Buses 14 and 15 (eastbound) from Union ( %0845 094 2424; www.citywharfapartments. St go to the beach; or you can walk from co.uk; 19-20 Regent Quay; d from £95; Wc) You Castlegate in 10 minutes. can watch the bustle of Aberdeen’s com- Old Aberdeen mercial harbour as you eat breakfast in one Just over a mile north of the city centre is of these luxury serviced apartments, com- the district called Old Aberdeen. The name plete with stylish, fully equipped kitchen, champagne-stocked minibar and daily

is misleading – although Old Aberdeen is NORTHEAST SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE & MORAY certainly old, the area around Castlegate is cleaning service. Available by the night or older still. This part of the city was original- the week, with discounts for longer stays. ly called Aulton, from the Gaelic for ‘village Globe Inn B&B ££ by the pool’, and this was anglicised in the ( %01224-624258; www.the-globe-inn.co.uk; 13- 17th century to Old Town. 15 North Silver St; s/d £65/70) This popular It was here that Bishop Elphinstone es- pub (see p 243) has seven appealing and tablished King’s College, Aberdeen’s fi rst comfortable guest bedrooms upstairs, university, in 1495. The 16th-century King’s done out in dark wood with burgundy bed- College Chapel (College Bounds; admission spreads. There’s live music in the pub on free; h9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) is easily recog- weekends so it’s not a place for early-to-bed nised by its crown spire; the interior is types, but the price vs location factor can’t SLEEPING ABERDEEN largely unchanged since it was fi rst built, be beaten. No dining room, so breakfast is SLEEPING with impressive stained-glass windows continental, served on a tray in your room. and choir stalls. The nearby King’s College Visitor Centre (College Bounds; admission Brentwood Hotel HOTEL ££ free; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat, 2-5pm Sun) houses a ( %01224-595440; www.brentwood-hotel.co.uk; multimedia display on the university’s his- 101 Crown St; s £45-90, d £59-99; pW) The tory and a pleasant coff ee shop. friendly and fl ower-bedecked Brentwood, Bus 20 from Littlejohn St (just north of set in a granite town house, is one of the Marischal College) runs to Old Aberdeen most attractive hotels in the city centre. It’s every 15 to 20 minutes. comfortable and conveniently located, but often busy during the week – weekend rates St Machar’s Cathedral CATHEDRAL (Friday to Sunday) are much cheaper. F(www.stmachar.com; The Chanonry; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat Apr-Oct, to 4pm Nov-Mar) Butler’s Islander Guest House B&B ££ The 15th-century St Machar’s Cathedral, ( %01224-212411; www.butlersguesthouse.com; with its massive twin towers, is a rare ex- 122 Crown St; s £40-65, d £60-80; iW) Just ample of a fortifi ed cathedral. According to across the street from the Brentwood, and legend, St Machar was ordered to establish with a similar weekday/weekend price split, a church where the river takes the shape Butler’s is a cosy place with a big breakfast of a bishop’s crook, which it does just here. menu that includes fresh fruit salad, kip- The cathedral is best known for its impres- pers and kedgeree as alternatives to the tra- sive heraldic ceiling, dating from 1520, ditional fry-up. Aberdeen Douglas Hotel HOTEL £££ Kildonan Guest House B&B ££ 242 ( %01224-582255; www.aberdeendouglas.com; (%01224-316115; www.kildonan-guesthouse. 43-45 Market St; r from £125; W) You can’t com; 410 Great Western Rd; s/d from £30/50; miss the grand Victorian facade of this W) 900m southwest of the city centre. historic landmark, which fi rst opened its doors as a hotel in 1853. Now renovated, it 5 Eating off ers classy modern rooms with polished Café 52 BISTRO ££ woodwork and crisp white bedlinen, and o( %01224-590094; www.cafe52.net; 52 is barely a minute’s walk from the train The Green; mains £12-16; hnoon-9.30pm Mon- station. Sat, noon-6pm Sun; W) This little haven of Simpson’s Hotel BOUTIQUE HOTEL ££ laid-back industrial chic – a high, narrow ( %01224-327777; www.simpsonshotel.co.uk; 59 space lined with bare stonework, rough Queen’s Rd; s/d from £60/80; p) Simpson’s, a plaster and exposed ventilation ducts – mile west of Union St, is a stylish boutique serves some of the fi nest and most inven- hotel decorated with a Mediterranean- tive cuisine in the northeast. Try starters Italian theme in shades of sand, terracotta such as wild game and garlic meatloaf with and aqua. It’s aimed at both business and spiced swede chutney, or mains like roast- private guests, and is totally wheelchair ac- cumin-and-honey pork loin with baked cessible. Cheaper rates on weekends. black pudding.

Dunrovin Guest House B&B ££ Silver Darling SEAFOOD £££ ( %01224-586081; www.dunrovinguesthouse.co. ( %01224-576229; www.silverdarlingrestaurant. uk; 168 Bon Accord St; s/d from £45/70; pW) co.uk; Pocra Quay, North Pier; lunch mains £10-15, Dunrovin is a typical granite Victorian dinner mains £18-27; hnoon-1.45pm Mon-Fri & The Silver Darling (an old NORTHEAST SCOTLAND house with eight bedrooms; the upstairs 7-9.30pm Mon-Sat) rooms are bright and airy. The friendly Scottish nickname for herring) is housed in owners will provide a veggie breakfast if a former Customs offi ce, with picture win- you wish. Located 400m south from the dows overlooking the sea at the entrance to western end of Union St. Aberdeen harbour. Here you can enjoy fresh Scottish seafood prepared by a top French Royal Crown Guest House B&B ££ chef while you watch the porpoises playing ( %01224-586461; www.royalcrown.co.uk; 111 in the harbour mouth. The lunch menu of- Crown St; s £35-70, d £60-80; pW) The Royal fers good-value gourmet delights, such as Crown has eight small but nicely furnished pan-fried turbot with chorizo and herb cro- bedrooms, and has a top location only quette; bookings are recommended.

ABERDEENSHIRE &ABERDEENSHIRE MORAY fi ve minutes’ walk from the train station (though up a steep fl ight of stairs). Moonfish Café FRENCH ££ ( %01224-644166; www.moonfi shcafe.co.uk; 9 Aberdeen Youth Hostel HOSTEL £ Correction Wynd; 2-/3-course dinner £16/22; (SYHA; %01224-646988; 8 Queen’s Rd; dm £18- hnoon-11pm) The menu of this funky little 20; iW) This hostel, set in a granite Vic- eatery tucked away on a back street con- torian villa, is a mile west of the train sta- centrates on good value French bistro fare tion. Walk west along Union St and take the (two-course lunch £10) such as classic right fork along Albyn Pl until you reach a French onion soup, moules-frites (mussels roundabout; Queen’s Rd continues on the with fries) with saff ron and Pernod cream western side of the roundabout. sauce, and crisp sea bass fi llet with cho- Jurys Inn HOTEL ££ rizo, boudin noir (blood sausage) and salsa (%01224-381200; www.jurysinns.com; Union verde. Sq, Guild St; s/d £88/96; W) Stylish and comfortable new hotel right next to the Foyer FUSION ££ S % train station. ( 01224-582277; www.foyerrestaurant. com; 82a Crown St; mains £10-19; h11am-9.30pm Adelphi Guest House B&B ££ Tue-Sat) A light, airy space fi lled with blond (%01224-583078; www.adelphiguesthouse.com; wood and bold colours, Foyer is an art gal- 8 Whinhill Rd; s/d from £40/50; W) It’s 400m lery as well as a restaurant and is run by south from western end of Union St. a charity that works against youth home- Arden Guest House B&B ££ lessness and unemployment. The seasonal (%01224-580700; www.ardenguesthouse.co.uk; menu is a fusion of Scottish, Mediterranean 61 Dee St; s/d from £50/60) and Asian infl uences, with lots of good veg- etarian (and gluten- or dairy-free) options. Ashvale Fish Restaurant FISH & CHIPS £ A light lunch menu is available from 11am (www.theashvale.co.uk; 42-48 Great Western Rd; 243 to 4pm. takeaway £4-6, mains £8-10; h11.45am-11pm; c) This is the fl agship, 200-seat branch of the Musa Art Cafe MODERN SCOTTISH ££ Ashvale, an award-winning fi sh-and-chip S % ( 01224-571771; www.musaaberdeen.com; restaurant famed for its quality haddock. 33 Exchange St; lunch mains £6-12, mains £16-19; The Ashvale Whale – a 1lb fi sh fi llet in bat- h The bright paintings on the noon-11pm) ter (£10.65) – is a speciality; fi nish it off and walls match the vibrant furnishings and you get a second one free (as if you’d want smart gastronomic creations at this great one by then!). There are branches in Elgin cafe-restaurant, set in a former church that and Brechin. was later used to store bananas. As well as a menu that focuses on quality local produce Howie’s MODERN SCOTTISH ££ cooked in a quirky way – think haggis-and- (%639500; 50 Chapel St; 2-course lunch mains coriander spring rolls with apricot chutney £6-8, dinner mains £10-13) A chic bistro – there are Brewdog beers from Fraser- dishing up great-value ‘modern Scottish’ burgh, and interesting music, sometimes cuisine accompanied by very reasonably live. priced house wine. Two-/three-course dinner £18/20. Rendezvous@Nargile TURKISH ££ Victoria Restaurant CAFE £ ( %01224-323700; www.rendezvousatnargile.co. (140 Union St; mains £6-9; h9am-5pm Fri-Wed, uk; cnr Forest Ave; mains £13-19; hnoon-10pm; 9am-6.30pm Thu) The Victoria, above the c A stylish West End venue specialising in ) Jamieson & Carry jewellery shop, is a Turkish cuisine. There are tasty spreads of traditional, posh Scottish tearoom, with mezes – shakshuka (a blend of roast pep- delicious fresh soups, salads and sand- pers, tomatoes, aubergines and chilli), dj- NORTHEAST SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE & MORAY wiches. Breakfast served till 11.30am. adjik (yoghurt with garlic and cucumber) and sigara boregi (cheese pastries), for ex- Poldino’s ITALIAN ££ ample – followed by delicious, melt-in-the- (www.poldinos.co.uk; 7 Little Belmont St; mains mouth kebabs and marinated meats, and £10-20; hnoon-2.30pm & 6-10.45pm Mon-Sat) vegetarian dishes such as mantar guvec Poldino’s is a long-established Aberdeen (casserole of button mushrooms in creamy eatery – an upmarket Italian family res- sauce with a cheese-and-couscous crust). taurant that never fails to impress with the quality of its food and service. Beautiful Mountain CAFE £

(www.thebeautifulmountain.com; 11-13 Belmont Drinking

6 DRINKINGABERDEEN St; mains £6-9; h8am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 8am- Aberdeen is a great city for a pub crawl – it’s

This cosy cafe is DRINKING 5pm Sat, 5.30-11pm Thu-Sat) more a question of knowing when to stop squeezed into a couple of tiny rooms (seat- than where to start. There are lots of pre- ing upstairs), but serves all-day breakfasts club bars in and around Belmont St, with and tasty sandwiches (smoked salmon, more traditional pubs scattered throughout Thai chicken, pastrami) on sourdough, ba- the city centre. gels, ciabatta and lots of other breads, along with exquisite espresso and consummate Globe Inn PUB cappuccino. (www.the-globe-inn.co.uk; 13-15 North Silver St) This lovely Edwardian-style pub with wood Sand Dollar Café CAFE, BISTRO £ panelling, marble-topped tables and walls

(www.sanddollarcafe.com; 2 Beach Esplanade; decorated with old musical instruments is h A cut above your mains £4-7; 9am-5pm) a great place for a quiet lunchtime or after- usual seaside cafe – on sunny days you can noon drink. It serves good coff ee as well as sit at the wooden tables outside and share real ales and malt whiskies, and has live a bottle of chilled white wine, and there’s music (rock, blues, soul) on Friday and Sat- a tempting menu that includes pancakes urday evenings. And probably the poshest with maple syrup, homemade burgers and pub toilets in the country. chocolate brownie with Orkney ice cream. An evening bistro menu (mains £11 to £20, Prince of Wales PUB served from 6pm Thursday to Saturday) of- (7 St Nicholas Lane) Tucked down an alley fers steak and seafood dishes. The cafe is on off Union St, Aberdeen’s best-known pub the esplanade, 800m northeast of the city boasts the longest bar in the city, and a centre. great range of real ales and good-value pub grub. Quiet in the afternoons, but standing- isn’t much competition – cosy Snafu off ers 244 room only in the evenings. a wide range of rotating club nights and guest DJs, as well as a Tuesday night com- Old Blackfriars PUB edy club and live music gigs. (www.old-blackfriars.co.uk; 52 Castlegate) One of the most attractive traditional pubs in Tunnels CLUB, LIVE MUSIC the city, with a lovely stone and timber in- (www.thetunnels.co.uk; Carnegie’s Brae) This terior, stained-glass windows and a relaxed cavernous, subterranean club – the en- atmosphere – a great place for an afternoon trance is in a road tunnel beneath Union St – pint. is a great live music venue, with a packed programme of up-and-coming Scottish Blue Lamp PUB bands. It also hosts regular DJ nights – (121 Gallowgate) A long-standing feature of check the website for the latest program. the Aberdeen pub scene, the Blue Lamp is a favourite student hang-out – a dark and O’Neill’s PUB, LIVE MUSIC slightly dingy drinking den with beer, good (www.oneills.co.uk; 9 Back Wynd) Upstairs at craic (lively conversation) and a jukebox se- O’Neill’s you’re guaranteed a wild night of lection that has barely changed since Elvis pounding, hardcore Irish rock, indie and died. There are regular sessions of live jazz, alternative tunes Friday to Sunday; down- folk and acoustic music. The pub is 150m stairs is a (slightly) quieter bar packed with north of the city centre, along Broad St. rugby types downing large quantities of Murphy’s stout. Cameron’s PUB (6 Little Belmont St; W) Known as Ma Cam- Theatre & Concerts eron’s, this is Aberdeen’s oldest pub (es- You can book tickets for most concerts and tablished in 1789). It has a pleasantly old- other events at the

NORTHEAST SCOTLAND Box Office (www.boxof fashioned atmosphere, with lots of wood, fi ceaberdeen.com; h9.30am-6pm Mon-Sat) next brick and stone, and a range of excellent to the Music Hall (Union St), the main venue real ales and malt whiskies. for classical music concerts. Lemon Tree Cafe CAFE-BAR Lemon Tree Theatre DRAMA, MUSIC (www.boxo ffi ceaberdeen.com; 5 West North St; (www.boxofficeaberdeen.com; 5 West North St) hnoon-4pm Fri-Sun) The bohemian cafe-bar An interesting program of dance, music at the Lemon Tree theatre does excellent and drama, and often has live rock, jazz coff ee, and stages live rock on Friday, folk and folk bands playing. There are also on Saturday and jazz on Sunday. children’s shows, ranging from comedy to drama to puppetry. ABERDEENSHIRE &ABERDEENSHIRE MORAY 3 Entertainment His Majesty’s Theatre BALLET, OPERA Cinemas (www.boxofficeaberdeen.com; Rosemount Belmont Cinema CINEMA Viaduct) The main theatre in Aberdeen (www.picturehouses.co.uk; 49 Belmont St) The hosts everything from ballet and opera to Belmont is a great little art-house cinema, pantomimes and musicals. with a lively programme of cult classics, Aberdeen Arts Centre DRAMA director’s seasons, foreign films and (www.aberdeenartscentre.org.uk; King St) mainstream movies. Stages regular drama productions in its Vue Cinema CINEMA theatre and changing exhibitions in its (www.myvue.com; 10 Shiprow) A seven-screen gallery. multiplex, conveniently located just off Union St, that shows mainstream, first- Information run films. 8 Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (%01224-681818; Clubs & Live Music Foresterhill; i) Medical services. About a mile northwest of the western end of Union St. Check out what’s happening in the club and Books & Beans (www.booksandbeans.co.uk; live-music scene at local record shops – try 22 Belmont St; per 15min £1; h8am-6pm Mon- One Up Records (www.oneupmusic.co.uk; 17 Sat) Internet access; also Fairtrade coffee and Belmont St). secondhand books. Snafu CLUB, LIVE MUSIC Main post office (St Nicholas Shopping Cen- (www.clubsnafu.com; 1 Union St) Aberdeen’s tre, Upperkirkgate; h9am-5.30pm Mon-Sat) coolest club – though admittedly there Post Office (489 Union St) Tourist office (%01224-288828; www. The most useful services for visitors are buses aberdeen-grampian.com; 23 Union St; h9am- 16A and 19 from Union St to Great Western Rd 245 6.30pm Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm Sun Jul & Aug, (for B&Bs); bus 27 from the bus station to Aber- 9.30am-5pm Mon-Sat Sep-Jun; i). Internet deen Youth Hostel and the airport; and bus 20 access too. from Marischal College to Old Aberdeen. CAR For rental cars try Arnold Clark (%01224- 8 Getting There & Away 249159; www.arnoldclarkrental.com; Girdleness AIR Aberdeen Airport (www.aberdeenairport. Rd) or Enterprise Car Hire (%01224-642642; com) is at Dyce, 6 miles northwest of the city www.enterprise.co.uk; 80 Skene Sq). centre. There are regular fl ights to numerous TAXI The main city-centre taxi ranks are at the Scottish and UK destinations, including Orkney train station and on Back Wynd, off Union St. To and Shetland, and international fl ights to the order a taxi, phone ComCab (%01224-353535) Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and France. or Rainbow City Taxis (%01224-878787). Stagecoach Jet bus 727 runs regularly from Aberdeen bus station to the airport (single £1.70, 35 minutes). A taxi from the airport to the Around Aberdeen city centre takes 25 minutes and costs £15. STONEHAVEN BOAT Car ferries from Aberdeen to Orkney and POP 9600 Shetland are run by Northlink Ferries (www. Originally a small fi shing village, Stone- northlinkferries.co.uk). For more details, see haven has been the county town of Kincar- p405 . The ferry terminal is a short walk east of dineshire since 1600 and is now a thriving the train and bus stations. family-friendly seaside resort. There’s a BUS The bus station is next to Jurys Inn, close tourist office (%01569-762806; 66 Allardice to the train station. National Express runs direct St; h10am-7pm Mon-Sat, 1-5.30pm Sun Jul & Aug, buses from London (£45, 12 hours) twice daily, 10am-1pm & 2-5.30pm Mon-Sat Jun & Sep, 10am- one of them overnight. Scottish Citylink runs 1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Sat Apr, May & Oct) near Mar- NORTHEAST SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE & MORAY services to Dundee (£15, 1½ hours), Perth (£21, ket Sq in the town centre. two hours), Edinburgh (£26, 3¼ hours) and Glasgow (£26, 4¼ hours). 1 Sights & Activities Stagecoach bus 10 runs hourly to Inverness From the lane beside the tourist offi ce, a (£11, 3¾ hours) via Huntly, Keith, Fochabers, El- boardwalk leads south along the shoreline gin (£10, two hours) and Nairn. Service 201 runs to the picturesque cliff -bound harbour, every half-hour (hourly on Sunday) to Crathes where you’ll fi nd a couple of appealing Castle gate (45 minutes), continuing once an pubs and the town’s oldest building, the hour (less frequently on Sunday) to Ballater (1¾ , built about 1600 by the Earl hours) and every two hours to Crathie (for Bal- Tolbooth Marischal. It now houses a small museum moral Castle) and Braemar (£9, 2¼ hours). ABERDEEN ENTERTAINMENTAROUND (admission free; h10am-noon & 2-5pm Mon &

Other local buses serve Stonehaven, Fraser- ENTERTAINMENT burgh, Peterhead, Banff and Buckie. Thu-Sat, 2-5pm Wed & Sun) and a restaurant. At the northern end of town is the Open- TRAIN The train station is south of the city centre, next to the massive Union Square shop- Air Swimming Pool (www.stonehavenopen ping mall. There are several trains a day from airpool.co.uk; adult/child £4.70/2.80; h10am- King’s Cross in London to Aberdeen (£122, 7½ 7.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun Jul–mid- hours); some are direct, but most services in- Aug, 1-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun Jun & volve a change of train at Edinburgh. late Aug), an Olympic-size (50m), heated, sea- Other destinations served from Aberdeen by water pool in art deco style, dating from rail include Edinburgh (£40, 2½ hours), Glasgow 1934. The pool is also open for ‘midnight (£40, 2¾ hours), Dundee (£24, 1¼ hours) and swims’ from 10pm to midnight on Wednes- Inverness (£25, 2¼ hours). day from the end of June to mid-August. A pleasant, 15-minute walk along the 8 Getting Around cliff tops south of the harbour leads to the BUS The main city bus operator is First Aber- spectacular ruins of Dunnottar Castle deen (www.fi rstaberdeen.com). Local fares cost (www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk; adult/child £5/1; from 70p to £2; pay the driver as you board the h9am-6pm daily Easter-Oct, 10.30am-dusk Fri- bus. A FirstDay ticket (adult/child £3.90/2.70) Mon Nov-Easter), spread out across a grassy allows unlimited travel from the time of pur- promontory rising 50m above the sea. As chase until midnight on all First Aberdeen buses. dramatic a fi lm set as any director could Information, route maps and tickets are avail- wish for, it provided the backdrop for Fran- able from the First Travel Centre (47 Union St; co Zeffi relli’s Hamlet, starring Mel Gibson. h8.45am-5.30pm Mon-Sat). The original fortress was built in the 9th 5.30-9pm Mon-Fri, noon-9pm Sat & Sun) A re- 246 century; the keep is the most substantial cent makeover with bare timber, slate and remnant, but the drawing room (restored in dove-grey paintwork has given this popular 1926) is more interesting. harbourside pub a boutique look; there are The Lady Gail 2 (%01569-765064; adult/ still half a dozen real ales on tap, including child £10/5) off ers boat trips from the har- Deuchars IPA and Timothy Taylor, and a bour to the nearby sea cliff s of Fowlsheugh bar-meals menu that includes fresh seafood nature reserve, which from May to July are specials. home to around 160,000 nesting seabirds, Carron Restaurant SCOTTISH ££ including kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills (www.carron-restaurant.co.uk; 20 Cameron St; and puffi ns. mains £12-20; hTue-Sat) This beautiful art z Festivals & Events deco restaurant is a remarkable survival The town hosts several special events, in- from the 1930s, complete with bow-fronted cluding the famous Fireball Ceremony terrace, iron fanlights, deco mirrors, player (www.stonehavenfi reballs.co.uk) at Hogmanay piano and original tiled toilets. The French- (31 December), when people parade along and Mediterranean-infl uenced menu the High St at midnight swinging blazing makes the most of local produce, matching fi reballs around their heads, and the three- the elegance of the surroundings. day Stonehaven Folk Festival (www.stone Boathouse Café CAFE £ havenfolkfestival.co.uk) in mid-July. (Old Pier; mains £6-8; h9.30am-4pm Mon-Fri, 4 Sleeping & Eating 9.30am-5pm Sat & Sun) Excellent coffee, cakes and light lunches; outdoor terrace 24 Shorehead B&B ££ with a view of the sea, o( %01569-767750; www.twentyfourshore

NORTHEAST SCOTLAND head.co.uk; 24 Shorehead; s/d £55/70; i) Lo- Ship Inn PUB, SEAFOOD £ cation makes all the diff erence, and the (www.shipinnstonehaven.com; 12 5 Shorehead; location of this former cooperage off ering mains £9-17; hlunch & dinner Mon-Fri, noon- peaceful and very stylish B&B accommo- 9.45pm Sat & Sun) Real ales, pub grub and dation can’t be beaten – last house at the outdoor tables with a view of the harbour. end of the road, overlooking the harbour, More formal dining in the neighbouring with lovely sea views. Using the binoculars Captain’s Table restaurant. provided, you can even spot seals from your bedroom. No credit cards. 8 Getting There & Away Stonehaven is 15 miles south of Aberdeen and is Beachgate House B&B ££

ABERDEENSHIRE &ABERDEENSHIRE MORAY served by the frequent buses travelling between ( %01569-763155; www.beachgate.co.uk; Beach- Aberdeen (45 minutes, hourly) and Dundee (1½ gate Lane; s/d £55/70; p) This luxurious hours). Trains to Dundee are faster (£12, 55 modern bungalow is right on the seafront, minutes, hourly) and off er a more scenic journey. just a few paces from the tourist offi ce; two of its fi ve rooms have sea views, as does the CASTLE FRASER lounge/dining room. The impressive 16th- to 17th-century Castle Fraser (NTS; adult/child £8.50/5.50; Tolbooth Restaurant h11am-5pm Jul & Aug, noon-5pm Thu-Sun Apr- o SEAFOOD £££ Jun, Sep & Oct) is the ancestral home of the ( %01569-762287; www.tolbooth-restaurant.co.uk; Fraser family. The largely Victorian in- Old Pier; mains £16-24; hclosed Mon year round terior includes the great hall (with a hid- & Sun Oct-Apr) Set in a 17th-century building den opening where the laird could eaves- overlooking the harbour, and decorated with drop on his guests), the library, various local art and crisp white linen, this is one of bedrooms and an ancient kitchen, plus a the best seafood restaurants in the region. secret room for storing valuables; Fraser Daily specials include dishes such as scal- family relics on display include needlework lops with samphire risotto, artichokes and hangings and a 19th-century artifi cial leg. saff ron foam. From Tuesday to Saturday you The ‘Woodland Secrets’ area in the castle can get a two-/three-course lunch for £13/16. grounds is designed as an adventure play- Reservations recommended. ground for kids. Marine Hotel PUB, SEAFOOD ££ The castle is 16 miles west of Aberdeen (www.marinehotelstonehaven.co.uk; 9-10 The and 3 miles south of Kemnay. Buses from Shore; mains £8-13; hfood noon-2.30pm & Aberdeen to Alford stop at Kemnay. HADDO HOUSE 5pm Jun-Aug, 10.30am-4.30pm Sat-Thu Apr, May, Designed in Georgian style by William Adam Sep & Oct, 10.30am-3.45pm Sat & Sun Nov-Mar; c) 247 in 1732, Haddo House (NTS; Tarves; adult/child is famous for its Jacobean painted ceilings, £8.50/5.50; h11am-5pm Jul & Aug, 11am-5pm Fri- magnifi cently carved canopied beds, and Mon Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct) is best described as a the ‘Horn of Leys’, presented to the Burnett classic English stately home transplanted to family by Robert the Bruce in the 14th cen- Scotland. Home to the Gordon family, it has tury. The beautiful formal gardens include sumptuous Victorian interiors with wood- 300-year-old yew hedges and colourful her- panelled walls, Persian rug–scattered fl oors baceous borders. and a wealth of period antiques. The beauti- The castle is on the A93, 16 miles west ful grounds and terraced gardens are open of Aberdeen, on the main Aberdeen to Bal- all year (9am to dusk). later bus route. Haddo is 19 miles north of Aberdeen, near Ellon. Buses run hourly Monday to BALLATER Saturday from Aberdeen to Tarves/Meth- POP 1450 lick, stopping at the end of the Haddo The attractive little village of Ballater owes House driveway; it’s a mile-long walk from its 18th-century origins to the curative bus stop to house. waters of nearby Pannanich Springs (now bottled commercially as Deeside Natural FYVIE CASTLE Mineral Water) and its prosperity to nearby Though a magnifi cent example of Scottish Balmoral Castle. Baronial architecture, Fyvie Castle (NTS; The tourist office (%01339-755306; Sta- adult/child £10.50/7.50; h11am-5pm Jul & Aug, tion Sq; h9am-6pm Jul & Aug, 10am-5pm Sep- noon-5pm Sat-Tue Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct) is prob- Jun) is in the Old Royal Station. For internet access, go to Cybernaut (www.cybernaut.org. ably more famous for its ghosts, which in- NORTHEAST SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE & MORAY clude a phantom trumpeter and the myste- uk; 14 Bridge St; per 15min £1; h9am-5pm Mon- rious Green Lady. The castle’s art collection Fri, 10am-4pm Sat; i). includes portraits by Thomas Gainsbor- 1 Sights & Activities ough and Sir Henry Raeburn. The grounds When Queen Victoria travelled to Balmoral are open all year (9am to dusk). Castle she would alight from the royal train The castle is 25 miles north of Aberdeen at Ballater’s Old Royal Station (Station Sq; on the A947 towards Turriff . A bus runs admission £2; h9am-6pm Jul & Aug, 10am-5pm hourly every day from Aberdeen to Banff Sep-Jun). The station has been beautifully and Elgin via Fyvie village, a mile from the restored and now houses the tourist offi ce, castle.

a cafe and a museum with a replica of Vic- ENTERTAINMENTDEESIDE toria’s royal coach. Note the crests on the ENTERTAINMENT shop fronts along the main street proclaim- Deeside ing ‘By Royal Appointment’ – the village is The valley of the River Dee – often called a major supplier of provisions to Balmoral. Royal Deeside because of the royal fami- Also on Station Sq is Dee Valley Con- ly’s long association with the area – stretch- fectioners (www.dee-valley.co.uk; Station Sq; es west from Aberdeen to Braemar, closely admission free; h9am-noon & 2-4.30pm Mon-Thu paralleled by the A93 road. From Deeside Apr-Oct), where you can drool over the manu- north to Strathdon is serious castle coun- facture of traditional Scottish sweeties. try – there are more examples of fanciful As you approach Ballater from the east Scottish Baronial architecture here than the hills start to close in, and there are anywhere else in Scotland. many pleasant walks in the surround- The Dee, world-famous for its salmon ing area. The steep woodland walk up fi shing, has its source in the Cairngorm Craigendarroch (400m) takes just over one Mountains west of Braemar, the starting hour. Morven (871m) is a more serious pros- point for long walks into the hills. The Fish- pect, taking about six hours, but off ers good Dee website (www.fi shdee.co.uk) has all you views from the top; ask at the tourist offi ce need to know about fi shing on the river. for more info. You can hire bikes from CycleHighlands CRATHES CASTLE (www.cyclehighlands.com; The Pavilion, Victo- The atmospheric, 16th-century Crathes ria Rd; per day £16; h9am-6pm), who also of- Castle (NTS; adult/child £10.50/7.50; h10.30am- fers guided bike rides and advice on local trails, and Cabin Fever (Station Sq; per 2hr BALMORAL CASTLE 248 £8; h9am-6pm), who can also arrange pony Eight miles west of Ballater lies Balmoral trekking, quad-biking, clay-pigeon shoot- Castle (www.balmoralcastle.com; adult/child ing or canoeing. £8.70/4.60; h10am-5pm Apr-Jul, last admission 4pm), the Queen’s Highland holiday home, 4 Sleeping & Eating screened from the road by a thick curtain Accommodation here is fairly expensive of trees. Built for Queen Victoria in 1855 as and budget travellers usually continue to a private residence for the royal family, it Braemar. kicked off the revival of the Scottish Baro- Auld Kirk RESTAURANT WITH ROOMS ££ nial style of architecture that characterises o( %01339-755762; www.theauldkirk.com; so many of Scotland’s 19th-century country Braemar Rd; s/d from £73/110; W) Here’s some- houses. thing a little out of the ordinary – a six- The admission fee includes an inter- bedroom ‘restaurant with rooms’ housed esting and well thought-out audioguide, in a converted 19th-century church. The but the tour is very much an outdoor one interior blends original features with through garden and grounds; as for the cas- sleek modern decor, and the stylish Scot- tle itself, only the ballroom, which displays tish restaurant (two-/three-course dinner a collection of Landseer paintings and royal £29/35) serves local lamb, venison and silver, is open to the public. Don’t expect seafood. to see the Queen’s private quarters! The main attraction is learning about Highland Green Inn RESTAURANT WITH ROOMS ££ estate management, rather than royal rev- ( %01339-755701; www.green-inn.com; s/d from elations. Guided tours are available on Sat- £58/76; p) A lovely old house dotted with urdays from October to December – check plush armchairs and sofas, this is another NORTHEAST SCOTLAND the website for details. ‘restaurant with rooms’ – three comfort- The massive pointy-topped mountain able en suite bedrooms, with the accent that looms to the south of Balmoral is on fi ne dining. The menu includes French- Lochnagar (1155m), immortalised in verse infl uenced dishes such as roast quail with by Lord Byron, who spent his childhood crayfi sh, truffl e and wild mushrooms. A years in Aberdeenshire: two-/three-course dinner costs £34/41 and meals are served from 7pm till 9pm Tues- England, thy beauties are tame and day to Saturday. domestic Celicall B&B ££ To one who has roamed o’er the % mountains afar. ABERDEENSHIRE &ABERDEENSHIRE MORAY ( 01339-755699; www.celicallguesthouse.co.uk; 3 Braemar Rd; d from £54; p) Celicall is a O! for the crags that are wild and friendly, family-run B&B in a modern cot- majestic: tage right across the street from Station The steep frowning glories of dark Sq, within easy walking distance of all Lochnagar. attractions. Balmoral is beside the A93 at Crathie and Old Station Cafe CAFE ££ can be reached on the Aberdeen–Braemar (Station Sq; mains £9-15; h10am-5pm daily, 6.30- bus. 8.30pm Thu-Sat) The former waiting room at Queen Victoria’s train station is now an BRAEMAR attractive dining area with black-and-white POP 400 fl oor tiles, basketwork chairs, and marble Braemar is a pretty little village with a fi replace and table tops. Daily specials grand location on a broad plain ringed by make good use of local produce, from salm- mountains where the Dee valley and Glen on to venison, and good coff ee and home- Clunie meet. In winter this is one of the baked goods are available all day. coldest places in the country – tempera- tures as low as -29°C have been recorded – 8 Getting There & Away and during spells of severe cold hungry Bus 201 runs from Aberdeen to Ballater (£9, deer wander the streets looking for a bite 1¾ hours, hourly Monday to Saturday, six on to eat. Braemar is an excellent base for hill Sunday) via Crathes Castle, and continues to walking, and there’s also skiing at nearby Braemar (30 minutes) every two hours. Glenshee. The tourist office (%01399-741600; The Mews, Mar Rd; h9am-6pm Aug, 9am-5pm Jun, BRAEMAR GATHERING 249 Jul, Sep & Oct, 10am-1.30pm & 2-5pm Mon-Sat, There are Highland games in many 2-5pm Sun Nov-May), opposite the Fife Arms Hotel, has lots of useful info on walks in the towns and villages throughout the area. There’s a bank with an ATM in the vil- summer, but the best known is the lage centre, a couple of outdoor equipment Braemar Gathering (www.braemar gathering.org), which takes place on shops and an Alldays (h7.30am-9pm Mon- the fi rst Saturday in September. It’s a Sat, 9am-6pm Sun) grocery store. major occasion, organised every year 1 Sights & Activities since 1817 by the Braemar Royal High- The Braemar Highland Heritage Centre land Society. Events include Highland (Mar Rd; admission free; h9am-6.30pm Jul & dancing, pipers, tug-of-war, a hill Aug, 10am-6pm Jun & Sep, 10am-5.30pm Mon- race up Morrone, tossing the caber, Sat, noon-5pm Sun Mar-May, shorter hr winter), hammer- and stone-throwing and the beside the tourist offi ce, tells the story of long jump. International athletes are the area with displays and videos. among those who take part. Just north of the village, turreted Brae- These kinds of events took place mar Castle (www.braemarcastle.co.uk; adult/ informally in the Highlands for child £5/3; h11am-6pm Sat & Sun, also Wed Jul many centuries as tests of skill and & Aug) dates from 1628 and served as a gov- strength, but they were formalised ernment garrison after the 1745 Jacobite around 1820 as part of the rise of rebellion. It was taken over by the local Highland romanticism initiated by community in 2007, and now off ers guided Sir Walter Scott and King George IV. Queen Victoria attended the Braemar tours of the historic castle apartments. NORTHEAST SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE & MORAY An easy walk from Braemar is up Creag Gathering in 1848, starting a tradition Choinnich (538m), a hill to the east of the of royal patronage that continues to village above the A93. The route is way- this day. marked and takes about 1½ hours. For a longer walk (three hours) and superb views of the Cairngorms, head for the summit of Clunie Lodge Guesthouse B&B ££ Morrone (859m), southwest of Braemar. ( %01339-741330; www.clunielodge.com; Cluni- Ask at the tourist offi ce for details of these ebank Rd; r per person from £30; p) A spacious and other walks. Victorian villa set in beautiful gardens, the Clunie is a great place to relax after a hard 4 Sleeping day’s hiking, with its comfortable residents ENTERTAINMENTDEESIDE BUNKHOUSE £ oRucksacks Bunkhouse lounge, bedrooms with views of the hills ENTERTAINMENT ( %01339-741517; 15 Mar Rd; bothy £7, dm and red squirrels scampering through the £12-15, tw £36; pi) An appealing cottage neighbouring woods. There’s a drying room bunkhouse, with comfy dorm and cheaper and secure storage for cycles. beds in an alpine-style bothy (shared sleep- ing platform for 10 people; bring your own Braemar Lodge Hotel HOTEL, BUNKHOUSE ££ sleeping bag). Extras including a drying ( %01339-741627; www.braemarlodge.co.uk; room (for wet-weather gear), laundry and Glenshee Rd; dm from £12, s/d £75/120; p) This even a sauna (£10 an hour). Nonguests are Victorian shooting lodge on the southern welcome to use the internet (£3 per hour, outskirts of the village has bags of char- 10.30am to 4.30pm), laundry and even the acter, not least in the wood-panelled Malt showers (£2), and the friendly owner is a Room bar, which is as well stocked with fount of knowledge about the local area. mounted deer heads as it is with single malt whiskies. There’s a good restaurant Craiglea B&B ££ with views of the hills, plus a 12-berth hik- ( %01339-741641; www.craigleabraemar.com; Hill- ers’ bunkhouse in the hotel grounds. side Dr; r £70; p) Craiglea is a homely B&B set in a pretty stone cottage with three en Braemar Youth Hostel HOSTEL £ suite bedrooms. Vegetarian breakfasts are (SYHA; %01339-741659; 21 Glenshee Rd; dm £16- available and the owners can give advice on 17; hJan-Oct; i) This hostel is housed in a local walks. grand former shooting lodge just south of the village centre on the A93 to Perth. It has a comfy lounge with pool table, and a bar- Continue westwards on a pleasant path 250 becue in the garden. over a pass into Glen Dee, then follow the St Margarets B&B ££ River Dee back downstream to the linn. (%01339-741697; 13 School Rd; s/tw £32/54; Take OS 1:50,000 map sheet number 43. W) Grab this place if you can, but there’s A good short walk (3 miles, 1½ hours) only one room – a twin with a serious begins at the Linn of Quoich – a waterfall sunflower theme. The genuine warmth of that thunders through a narrow slot in the the welcome is heart-warming. rocks. Head uphill on a footpath on the east bank of the stream, past the impres- Invercauld Caravan Club Site CAMPSITE £ sive rock scenery of the Punch Bowl (a gi- (%01339-741373; tent sites £10-15; hlate ant pothole), to a modern bridge that spans Dec-Oct) Good camping here, or you can the narrow gorge, and return via an unsur- camp wild (no facilities) along the minor faced road on the far bank. road on the east bank of the Clunie Water, 3 miles south of Braemar. 5 Eating Strathdon Gathering Place BISTRO ££ The valley of the River Don, home to many o( %01339-741234; www.the-gathering-pla of Aberdeenshire’s fi nest castles, stretches ce.co.uk; 9 Invercauld Rd; mains £15-18; hdinner westward from Kintore, 13 miles northwest Tue-Sun) This bright and breezy bistro is an of Aberdeen, taking in the villages of Kem- unexpected corner of culinary excellence, nay, Monymusk, Alford (ah-ford) and tiny with a welcoming dining room and sunny Strathdon. The A944 parallels the lower conservatory, tucked below the main road valley; west of Alford, the A944, A97 and junction at the entrance to the village. A939 follow the river’s upper reaches. NORTHEAST SCOTLAND Taste CAFE £ Stagecoach bus 220 runs from Aberdeen (www.taste-braemar.co.uk; Airlie House, Mar Rd; to Alford (1½ hours, seven a day Monday mains £3-5; h10am-5pm Thu-Mon; c) Taste to Saturday, four on Sunday); bus 219 con- is a relaxed little cafe with armchairs in tinues from Alford to Strathdon village (50 the window, serving soups, snacks, coffee minutes, two daily Tuesday and Thursday, and cakes. one on Saturday) via Kildrummy.

Hungry Highlander FISH & CHIPS £ ALFORD (14 Invercauld Rd; mains £3-7; h10am-10pm POP 1925 Mon-Sat, 10.30am-10pm, 10am-10pm Sun) Alford has a tourist office (%01975-562052; Serves a range of takeaway meals and hot Old Station Yard, Main St; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat, ABERDEENSHIRE &ABERDEENSHIRE MORAY drinks. 12.45-5pm Sun Jun-Aug, 10am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-noon & 1.45-5pm Sat, 12.45-5pm Getting There & Away 8 Sun Apr, May & Sep), banks with ATMs and a Bus 201 runs from Aberdeen to Braemar (£9, 2¼ supermarket. hours, eight daily Monday to Saturday, fi ve on The Grampian Transport Museum Sunday). The 50-mile drive from Perth to Brae- (www.gtm.org.uk; adult/child £6/3; h10am-5pm mar is beautiful, but there’s no public transport on this route. Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm Oct) houses a fascinating collection of vintage motorbikes, cars, bus- INVEREY es and trams, including a Triumph Bonne- Five miles west of Braemar is the tiny settle- ville in excellent nick, a couple of Model T ment of Inverey. Numerous mountain walks Fords (including one used by Drambuie), start from here, including the adventurous a Ferrari F40 and an Aston Martin V8 Mk walk through the Lairig Ghru pass to Avie- II. Unusual exhibits include a 19th-century more (see the boxed text, p331 ). horse-drawn sleigh from Russia, a 1942 The Glen Luibeg circuit (15 miles, six Mack snowplough and the Craigievar Ex- hours) is a good day-walk. Start from the press, a steam-powered tricycle built in woodland car park 250m beyond the Linn 1895 by a local postman. of Dee, a narrow gorge at the road bridge Next to the museum is the terminus of about 1.5 miles west of Inverey, and follow the narrow-gauge Alford Valley Steam the footpath and track to Derry Lodge and Railway (%01975-562811; www.alfordvalleyrail Glen Luibeg – there are beautiful remnants way.org.uk; adult/child £2.50/1.50; h11.30am- of the ancient Caledonian pine forest here. 4pm May-Sep, Sat & Sun only Apr), a heritage line that runs from here to Haughton Coun- by motorcyclists – crosses the Lecht pass try Park. (637m), where there’s a small skiing area 251 with lots of short easy and intermediate CRAIGIEVAR CASTLE runs. Lecht 2090 (www.lecht.co.uk) hires The most spectacular of the Strathdon out skis, boots and poles for £17 a day; a castles is Craigievar (NTS; adult/child £10/7; one-day lift pass is £25. A two-day package, hnoon-5.30pm Jul & Aug, noon-5.30pm Fri-Tue including ski hire, lift pass and instruction, Easter-Jun & Sep), located 9 miles south of costs £90. Alford. A superb example of the original The ski centre opens in summer, too, Scottish Baronial style, it has managed to when you can rent mountain bikes (£20 survive pretty much unchanged since its for four hours) and quad bikes (£10 for a completion in the 17th century (although 12-minute session). the exterior has recently been restored to its original pink colour after a £500,000 facelift). The lower half is a plain tower Northern Aberdeenshire house, the upper half sprouts corbelled tur- North of Aberdeen, the Grampian Moun- rets, cupolas and battlements – an extrava- tains fall away to rolling agricultural plains gant statement of its builder’s wealth and pocked with small, craggy volcanic hills. status. This fertile lowland corner of northeastern KILDRUMMY CASTLE Scotland is known as Buchan, a region of Nine miles west of Alford lie the extensive traditional farming culture immortalised remains of the 13th-century Kildrummy by Lewis Grassic Gibbon in his trilogy, A Castle (HS; adult/child £3.70/2.20; h9.30am- Scots Quair, based on the life of a farming community in the 1920s. The old Scots dia-

5.30pm Apr-Sep), former seat of the Earl of NORTHEAST SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE & MORAY Mar and once one of Scotland’s most im- lect called the Doric lives on in everyday use pressive fortresses. After the 1715 Jacobite here – if you think the Glaswegian accent rebellion the earl was exiled to France and is diffi cult to understand, just try listening his castle fell into ruin. in on a conversation in Peterhead or Fra- If you’re in the mood for a night of lux- serburgh. ury, head for Kildrummy Castle Hotel The Buchan coast alternates between (%01975-571288; www.kildrummycastlehotel.co. rugged cliff s and long, long stretches of uk; s/d from£90/139; pW) just along the sand, dotted with picturesque little fi shing road, a splendid Baronial hunting lodge villages such as Pennan, where parts of the complete with original oak panelling, log fi lm Local Hero were shot. fi res and four-poster beds. ABERDEENSHIRE ENTERTAINMENTNORTHERN FRASERBURGH ENTERTAINMENT POP 12,500 CORGARFF CASTLE Fraserburgh, aff ectionately known to locals In the wild upper reaches of Strathdon, as the Broch, is Europe’s largest shellfi sh near the A939 from Corgarff to Tomintoul, port. Like Peterhead, Fraserburgh’s fortune is the impressive fortress of Corgarff has been founded on the fi shing industry h Castle (HS; adult/child £4.70/2.80; 9.30am- and has suff ered from its general decline. 5.30pm daily Apr-Sep, 9.30am-4.30pm Sat & Sun The harbour is still fairly busy, though, and . The tower house dates from the Oct-Mar) is an interesting place to wander around; 16th century, but the star-shaped defensive there are good sandy beaches east of the curtain wall was added in 1748 when the town. There’s a tourist office (%01346- castle was converted to a military barracks 518315; Saltoun Sq; h10am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon- in the wake of the Jacobite rebellion. Sat Apr-Oct), a supermarket and banks with % Jenny’s Bothy ( 01975-651449; www.jenny ATMs. sbothy.co.uk; dm £10) is a welcoming year- The excellent Scottish Lighthouse Mu- round bunkhouse set in a remote croft; look seum (www.lighthousemuseum.org.uk; Kinnaird out for the sign by the main road, then fol- Head; adult/child £5/2; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat, low the old military road (drivable) for 0.75 11am-6pm Sun Jul & Aug, 11am-5pm Mon-Sat, miles. Phone ahead before arriving. noon-5pm Sun Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct, to 4pm Nov- LECHT SKI RESORT Mar) provides a fascinating insight into the At the head of Strathdon the A939 – a mag- network of lights that have safeguarded nifi cent rollercoaster of a road, much loved the Scottish coast for over 100 years, and the men and women who built and main- cliff s above the tiny harbour. Drivers should 252 tained them (plus a sobering fact – that all beware of severe gradients and hairpin the world’s lighthouses are to be decommis- bends in the village, parts of which can only sioned by 1 January 2080). A guided tour be reached on foot. Crovie (criv-vee), 800m takes you to the top of the old Kinnaird to the east, is even more claustrophobically Head lighthouse, built on top of a convert- picturesque. ed 16th-century castle; the engineering is so precise that the 4.5-ton light assembly HUNTLY can be rotated by pushing with a single POP 4400 fi nger. The anemometer here measured the An impressive ruined castle and an attrac- strongest wind speed ever recorded in the tive main square make this small town UK, with a gust of 123 knots (142mph) on worth a stopover between Aberdeen and 13 February 1989. Elgin. The tourist office (%01466-792255; Maggie’s Hoosie (26 Shore St, Inverallochy; The Square; h10am-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 10am-3pm Sun Jul & Aug, 10am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Sat Apr- admission free; h2-4pm Mon-Thu Apr-Sep), 4 miles east of Fraserburgh, is a traditional Jun, Sep & Oct) is on the main square, next to fi shwife’s cottage with earthen fl oors and a bank with an ATM. original furnishings, a timeless reminder of Castle St (beside the Huntly Hotel) runs a bygone age. north from the town square to an arched Buses 267 and 268 run to Fraserburgh gateway and tree-lined avenue that leads to from Aberdeen (1½ hours, every 30 minutes 16th-century Huntly Castle (HS; adult/child Monday to Saturday, hourly on Sunday) via £4.70/2.80; h9.30am-5.30pm Apr-Sep, 9.30am- Ellon. 4.30pm Oct, 9.30am-4.30pm Sat-Wed Nov-Mar), the former stronghold of the Gordons on the banks of the River Deveron. Over the NORTHEAST SCOTLAND PENNAN Pennan is a picturesque harbour village main door is a superb carving that includes tucked beneath red-sandstone cliff s, 12 the royal arms and the fi gures of Christ and miles west of Fraserburgh. The white- St Michael. washed houses are built gable-end to the Just off the A96, 3 miles northwest sea, and the waves break just a few metres of Huntly, is the Peregrine Wild Watch away on the other side of the village’s only Centre (www.forestry.gov.uk/huntlyperegrines; street. Most of the cottages are now holiday Bin Forest; admission free; h9.30am-5.30pm Apr- homes. Aug), a centre where you can observe rare The village featured in the 1983 fi lm Lo- peregrine falcons, both live from a hide and cal Hero, and fans of the fi lm still come to via a remote camera monitoring their nest ABERDEENSHIRE &ABERDEENSHIRE MORAY make a call from the red telephone box that site. played a prominent part in the plot. How- 4 Sleeping ever, the box in the fi lm was just a prop, and There are a couple of hotels on the main it was only later that fi lm buff s and locals square and a handful of B&Bs in the sur- successfully campaigned for a real one to rounding streets; the hospitable Hillview be installed. (%01466-794870; www.hillviewbb.com; Provost The interior of the village hotel, the Pen- St; s/d £30/50; pW) and its tasty breakfast nan Inn, also appeared in the fi lm, though pancakes are recommended. one of the houses further along the sea- If you want to spoil yourself, continue front to the east doubled for the exterior of along the drive beyond the castle to the the fi ctional hotel. The beach scenes were Castle Hotel (%01466-792696; www.castle fi lmed on the other side of the country, at hotel.uk.com; s/d from £70/100; pW), a splen- Camasdarach Beach in Arisaig, see p345 . did 18th-century mansion set amid acres Bus 273 from Fraserburgh to Banff stops of parkland. It’s comfortably old fashioned, at the Pennan road end (25 minutes, two a with a grand wooden staircase, convoluted day, Saturday only), 350m south of (and a corridors, the odd creaky fl oorboard and steep climb uphill from) the village. rattling sash window, but must be among the most aff ordable country house hotels in GARDENSTOWN & CROVIE Scotland. The fi shing village of Gardenstown, or Gamrie (game-rey), founded by Alexan- 8 Getting There & Away der Garden in 1720, is built on a series of Bus 10 from Aberdeen (1½ hours, hourly) to cramped terraces tumbling down the steep Inverness passes through Huntly. There are also THE WOLF OF BADENOCH 253

Of all the hard-man fi gures of medieval Scotland, few inspired as much terror as Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan (1343–1405), illegitimate son of the king and bet- ter known as the Wolf of Badenoch. A cruel landowner with a number of castles in the Strathspey region, he was not a man to get on the wrong side of, as the Bishop of Moray found out in 1390. When the earl ditched his wife in favour of his mistress, the bishop excommunicated him. The monk who bore the message of excommunication was thrown head fi rst into a well, and the infuriated Wolf, accompanied by a band of ‘wild wicked Highland men’, embarked on an orgy of destruction, burning fi rst For- res, then Elgin, to the ground, destroying the cathedral and nearby Pluscarden Abbey in the process. Amazingly, Stewart still managed to end up being buried in Dunkeld Cathedral. Legend says his death occurred on a dark, stormy night. The devil came calling on a black horse and challenged him to a game of chess. The Wolf was check- mated, and the devil took his life (and soul) as his prize.

regular trains from Aberdeen to Huntly (one Elgin Museum MUSEUM hour, every two hours), continuing to Inverness. (www.elginmuseum.org.uk; 1 High St; adult/child £4/1.50; h10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 11am-4pm Sat Apr-Oct) Palaeontologists and Pict lovers Moray will enjoy Elgin Museum, where the high- The old county of Moray (murr-ree), cen- lights are its collections of fossil fi sh and tred on the county town of Elgin, lies at the Pictish carved stones. NORTHEAST SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE & MORAY heart of an ancient Celtic earldom and is Gordon & MacPhail DELICATESSEN famed for its mild climate and rich farm- (www.gordonandmacphail.com; 58-60 South land – the barley fi elds of the 19th century St; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat) Not a sight as such, once provided the raw material for the but a sight for sore eyes perhaps – Gordon Speyside whisky distilleries, one of the & MacPhail is the world’s largest special- region’s main attractions for present-day ist malt whisky dealer. Over a century old visitors. and off ering around 450 diff erent varieties, its Elgin shop is a place of pilgrimage for ELGIN whisky connoisseurs, as well as housing a POP 21,000

Elgin’s been the provincial capital of Moray mouth-watering delicatessen. ENTERTAINMENTMORAY for over eight centuries and was an impor- Spynie Palace HISTORIC BUILDING ENTERTAINMENT tant town in medieval times. Dominated by (HS; adult/child £3.70/2.20; h9.30am-5.30pm a hilltop monument to the 5th Duke of Gor- Apr-Sep, 9.30am-4.30pm Sat & Sun Oct-Mar) don, Elgin’s main attraction is its impres- This palace 2 miles north of Elgin was the sive ruined cathedral, where the tombs of residence of the medieval bishops of Moray the duke’s ancestors lie. until 1686. The massive tower house com- mands lovely views over Spynie Loch. 1 Sights Elgin Cathedral CATHEDRAL 4 Sleeping & Eating (HS; King St; adult/child £4.70/2.80, joint ticket Croft Guesthouse B&B ££ with Spynie Palace £6.20/3.70; h9.30am- ( %01343-546004; www.thecroftelgin.co.uk; 10 5.30pm Apr-Sep, 9.30am-4.30pm Oct, 9.30am- Institution Rd; s/d from £55/70; p) The Croft 4.30pm Sat-Wed Oct-Mar) Many people think off ers a taste of Victorian high society, set that the ruins of Elgin Cathedral, known as in a spacious mansion built for a local law- the ‘lantern of the north’, are the most beau- yer back in 1848. The house is fi lled with tiful and evocative in Scotland. Consecrat- period features – check out the cast-iron ed in 1224, the cathedral was burned down and tile fi replaces – and the three large bed- in 1390 by the infamous Wolf of Badenoch, rooms are equipped with easy chairs and the illegitimate son of Robert II, following crisp bed linen. his excommunication by the Bishop of Mo- ray. The octagonal chapter house is the fi n- Mansefield Hotel HOTEL ££ % est in the country. ( 01343-540883; www.themansefi eld.com; Mayne Rd; s/d from £90/110; p) Centred on a 19th-century manse (minister’s house), but L O S S I E M O U T H 254 with extensive modern additions, the Man- POP 9000 sfi eld off ers elegant accommodation both Lossie, as it’s known locally, is the former in sleek, modern rooms aimed at business port of Elgin, now better known as a sea- travellers and in more traditional rooms side resort, yachting harbour and air force with four-poster beds. base; it’s also the birthplace of James Ram- say MacDonald (1866–1937), who was the Southbank Guest House B&B ££ UK’s fi rst Labour prime minister (served ( %01343-547132; www.southbank-guesthouse. 1923–24 and 1929–31; there’s a plaque at 1 co.uk; 36 Academy St; s/d from £50/75; p) The Gregory Pl, where he was born). family-run, 12-room Southbank is set in a Lossiemouth’s big selling point is the large Georgian town house in a quiet street East Beach, a beautiful golden-sand beach south of Elgin’s centre, just fi ve minutes’ that stretches for several miles to the south- walk from the cathedral and other sights. east of the town, reached via a footbridge Mezzo BISTRO ££ over the River Lossie. The old harbour, now (cnr Hay & South Sts; mains £8-15; hlunch & din- a yachting marina, is a pleasant place to ner Mon-Sat, dinner Sun) This lively bar and stroll. restaurant is part of the Mansefi eld Hotel Good places for coff ee and cake or a light complex, and serves tasty bistro fare, in- lunch include Harbour Lights (5 Pitgaveny cluding pasta, pizza, burgers and various Quay; snacks £2-5; h9am-5pm), a tearoom vegetarian dishes. beside the marina, and La Caverna (20 Clif- ton Rd; mains £9-13; hnoon-2pm & 5-9.30pm), a Xoriatiki GREEK ££ stone-vaulted Italian cafe and restaurant – (%01343-546868; 89 High St; mains £7-12; the outdoor tables have a view of the beach. hlunch & dinner Tue-Sat) Likeable place

NORTHEAST SCOTLAND which brings an authentic taste of Greece DUFFTOWN to Elgin at competitive prices. Access is POP 1450 via an alleyway off the main street. Rome may be built on seven hills, but Duff - Ashvale FISH & CHIPS £ town’s built on seven stills, say the locals. (11 Moss St; mains £6-12; h10.45am-10pm) A Founded in 1817 by James Duff , 4th Earl branch of the famous Aberdeen fish-and- of Fife, Duff town is 17 miles south of Elgin chip shop, sit in or takeaway. and lies at the heart of the Speyside whisky- distilling region. 8 Information The tourist office (%01340-820501; Moray Business & Computer Centre h10am-1pm & 2-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 11am-3pm Sun h ABERDEENSHIRE &ABERDEENSHIRE MORAY (20 Commerce St; per 15min £1; 9am-5pm Easter-Oct) is in the clock tower in the main Mon-Sat;i) Internet access. square; the adjoining museum contains Post office (Batchen St; h8.30am-6pm some interesting local items. Mon-Fri, 8.30am-4pm Sat) Sights & Activities Tourist office (%01343-542666; 17 High St; 1 h9am-6pm Mon-Sat, 11am-4pm Sun Jun-Aug, With seven working distilleries nearby, 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 11am-3pm Sun Apr, May, Duff town has been dubbed Scotland’s malt Sep & Oct, 10am-4pm Mon-Sat Nov-Mar) whisky capital. Ask at the tourist offi ce for a Malt Whisky Trail (www.maltwhiskytrail.com) 8 Getting There & Away booklet, a self-guided tour around the seven The bus station is a block north of the High St, stills plus the Speyside Cooperage. and the train station is 900m south of the town centre. Keith and Dufftown Railway BUS Elgin is a stop on the hourly Stagecoach HERITAGE RAILWAY bus 10 service between Inverness (£8, one hour) (www.keith-du ff town-railway.co.uk; Duff town Sta- and Aberdeen (£10, two hours). Bus 305 goes tion) A heritage railway line running for 11 from Elgin to Banff and Macduff (£8, one hour), miles from Duff town to Keith. Trains hauled continuing to Aberdeen via Fyvie. Bus 336 goes by 1950s diesel motor units run on Saturdays to Duff town (£4, 30 minutes, hourly Monday to and Sundays from June to September, plus Saturday). Fridays in July and August; a return ticket TRAIN There are frequent trains from Elgin to costs £9.50/4.50 for an adult/child. There Aberdeen (£15, 1½ hours) and Inverness (£10, are also two 1930s ‘Brighton Belle’ Pullman 45 minutes). coaches on display, and a cafe housed in a 1957 British Railways cafeteria car. BLAZE YOUR OWN WHISKY TRAIL 255

Visiting a distillery can be memorable, but only hardcore malthounds will want to go to more than two or three. Some are great to visit; others are depressingly corporate. The following are some recommendations. » Aberlour (www.aberlour.com; tours £10; h10.30am & 2pm daily Easter-Oct, Mon-Fri by appointment Nov-Mar) Has an excellent, detailed tour with a proper tasting session. It’s on the main street in Aberlour. » Glenfarclas (www.glenfarclas.co.uk; admission £3.50; h10am-4pm Mon-Fri Oct-Mar, 10am-5pm Mon-Fri Apr-Sep, plus 10am-4pm Sat Jul-Sep) Small, friendly and independent, Glenfarclas is 5 miles south of Aberlour on the Grantown road. The last tour leaves 90 minutes before closing. The in-depth Ambassador’s Tour (Fridays only) is £15. » Glenfiddich (www.glenfiddich.com; admission free; h9.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri year- round, 9.30am-4.30pm Sat & noon-4.30pm Sun Easter–mid-Oct) It’s big and busy, but handiest for Dufftown and foreign languages are available. The standard tour starts with an overblown video, but it’s fun, informative and free. An in-depth Connois- seur’s Tour (£20) must be prebooked. Glenfiddich kept single malt alive during the dark years. » Macallan (www.themacallan.com; standard tours £5; h9.30am-4.30pm Mon-Sat Apr- Oct, ring for winter hours) Excellent sherry-casked malt. Several small-group tours are available (last tour at 3.30pm), including an expert one (£15); all should be pre- booked. Lovely location 2 miles northwest of Craigellachie.

» Speyside Cooperage (www.speysidecooperage.co.uk; admission £3.30; h9am-4pm NORTHEAST SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE & MORAY Mon-Fri) Here you can see the fascinating art of barrel-making in action. It’s a mile from Craigellachie on the Dufftown road. » Spirit of Speyside (www.spiritofspeyside.com) This biannual whisky festival in Dufftown has a number of great events. It takes place in early May and late Septem- ber; both accommodation and events should be booked well ahead.

Whisky Museum MUSEUM Fife Arms Hotel HOTEL ££ (www.du ff town.co.uk; The Hub, 12 Conval St; ( %01340-820220; www.fi fearmsduff town.co.uk; h As well as housing p This wel-

1-4pm Mon-Fri May-Sep) 2 The Square; s/d from £35/60; ) ENTERTAINMENTMORAY a selection of distillery memorabilia (try coming hotel off ers slightly cramped but saying that after a few drams), the Whisky comfortable accommodation in a modern ENTERTAINMENT Museum (recently moved to new premises block around the back; its bar is stocked in Conval St) holds ‘nosing and tasting eve- with a wide range of single malts, and the nings’ where you can learn what to look restaurant (mains £9 to £16) dishes up siz- for in a fi ne single malt (£8 per person; zling steaks, homemade steak pies and lo- 8pm Wednesday in July and August). You cally farmed ostrich steaks. can then test your new-found skills at the La Faisanderie FRENCH, SCOTTISH £££ nearby Whisky Shop (www.whiskyshopduff S( %01340-821273; The Square; mains £18- town.co.uk; 1 Fife St), which stocks hundreds 21; hnoon-1.30pm & 5.30-8.30pm) This is a of single malts. great place to eat, run by a local chef who 4 Sleeping & Eating shoots much of his own game, guarantee- Davaar B&B B&B ££ ing freshness. The interior is decorated in ( %01340-820464; www.davaarduff town.co.uk; French auberge style with a cheerful mural 17 Church St; s/d from £40/60) Just along the and pheasants hiding in every corner. The street opposite the tourist offi ce, Davaar is set menus (three-course lunch £18.50, four- a sturdy Victorian villa with three small- course dinner £32) won’t disappoint, but ish but comfy rooms; the breakfast menu is you can order à la carte as well. superb, off ering the option of Portsoy kip- A Taste of Speyside SCOTTISH ££ pers instead of the traditional fry-up (which S( %01340-820860; 10 Balvenie St; mains uses eggs from the owners’ own chickens). £16-20; hnoon-9pm Tue-Sun Easter-Sep, noon- 2pm & 6-9pm Tue-Sun Oct-Easter) This up- hlunch & dinner), which serves light lunches 256 market restaurant prepares traditional and bistro dinners made with fresh High- Scottish dishes using fresh local produce, land lamb, venison and salmon. including a challenging platter of smoked salmon, smoked venison, brandied chicken 8 Getting There & Away liver pâté, cured herring, a selection of Scot- There is a very limited bus service to Tomintoul tish cheeses and homemade bread (phew!). from Elgin, Duff town and Aberlour. Check with A two-course lunch costs £13.50. the tourist offi ce in Elgin for the latest timetable. 8 Getting There & Away BANFF & MACDUFF COMBINED POP 7750 Buses link Duff town to Elgin (50 minutes, hour- The handsome Georgian town of Ban ff and ly), Huntly, Aberdeen and Inverness. the busy fi shing port of Macdu ff lie on ei- On summer weekends, you can take a train ther side of Banff Bay, separated only by the from Aberdeen or Inverness to Keith, and then mouth of the River Deveron. Banff Links – ride the Keith and Duff town Railway (see p 254 ) to Duff town. 800m of clean golden sand stretching to the west – and Macduff ’s impressive aquarium T O M I N T O U L pull in the holiday crowds. POP 320 The tourist office (%01261-812419; Collie This high-altitude (345m) village was built Lodge, High St; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat, noon-5pm by the Duke of Gordon in 1775 on the old Sun Apr-Sep) is beside St Mary’s car park in military road that leads over the Lecht pass Banff . from Corgarff , a route now followed by the A939 (usually the fi rst road in Scotland to 1 Sights be blocked by snow when winter closes in). Duff House ART GALLERY

NORTHEAST SCOTLAND The duke hoped that settling the dispersed (www.du ff house.org.uk; adult/child £6.55/5.45; population of his estates in a proper village h11am-5pm Apr-Oct, 11am-4pm Thu-Sun Nov- would help to stamp out cattle stealing and Mar) Duff House is an impressive baroque illegal distilling. mansion on the southern edge of Banff Tomintoul (tom-in-towel) is a pretty, (upstream from the bridge, and across stone-built village with a grassy, tree- from the tourist offi ce). Built between 1735 lined main square, where you’ll fi nd the and 1740 as the seat of the Earls of Fife, it tourist office (%01807-580285; The Square; was designed by William Adam and bears h9.30am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Sat Easter-Oct, plus similarities to that Adam masterpiece, 1-5pm Sun Aug); and, next door, the Tomin- Hopetoun House. Since being donated to the town in 1906 it has served as a hotel,

ABERDEENSHIRE &ABERDEENSHIRE MORAY toul Museum (The Square; admission free; h9.30am-5pm Mon-Sat Apr-Oct, plus 1-5pm Sun a hospital and a POW camp, but is now an Jul & Aug), which has displays on a range of art gallery. One of Scotland’s hidden gems, local topics. it houses a superb collection of Scottish and The surrounding Glenlivet Estate (now European art, including important works the property of the Crown) has lots of by Raeburn and Gainsborough. walking and cycling trails – the estate’s Nearby Banff Museum (High St; admis- information centre (www.crownestate.co.uk/ sion free; h10am-12.30pm Mon-Sat Jun-Sep) has glenlivet; Main St) distributes free maps of award-winning displays on local wildlife, the area – and a spur of the Speyside Way geology and history, and Banff silver. long-distance footpath (see the boxed text, Macduff Marine Aquarium AQUARIUM p32 ) runs between Tomintoul and Ball- (www.macdu ff -aquarium.org.uk; 11 High Shore; indalloch, 15 miles to the north. adult/child £5.65/2.80; h10am-5pm; c) The centrepiece of Macduff ’s aquarium is a Sleeping & Eating 4 400,000L open-air tank, complete with kelp- Accommodation for walkers includes the coated reef and wave machine. Marine oddi- Tomintoul Youth Hostel (SYHA; %01807- ties on view include the brightly coloured 580364; Main St; dm £15; hMay-Sep), housed in cuckoo wrasse, the warty-skinned lump- the old village school. The excellent Argyle sucker and the vicious-looking wolf fi sh. Guest House (%01807-580766; www.argyleto mintoul.co.uk; 7 Main St; d/f £59/100) is a more 4 Sleeping & Eating comfortable alternative. Bryvard Guest House B&B ££ For something to eat, try the Clock- ( %01261-818090; www.bryvardguesthouse.co.uk; house Restaurant (The Square; mains £10-12; Seafi eld St, Banff ; s/d from £40/70; W) The Bryvard is an imposing Edwardian town Portsoy is 8 miles west of Banff ; the hour- house close to the town centre, with four ly bus between Elgin and Banff stops here. 257 beautiful period-furnished bedrooms (two with en suite). Go for the ‘McLeod’ room, F O R D Y C E which has a four-poster bed and a sea view. POP 150 This impossibly picturesque village lies The guesthouse’s Hidden Corner restaurant (mains £15-18) serves dinner Thursday to about 3 miles southwest of Portsoy. The Saturday. main attractions are the 13th-century St Tarquin’s Church, with its extraordinary County Hotel HOTEL ££ canopied Gothic tombs, and the impres- ( %01261-815353; www.thecountyhotel.com; sive 16th-century tower house of Fordyce 32 High St, Banff ; s/d from £45/80; p) The Castle. The castle isn’t open to the public, County occupies an elegant Georgian man- but its whitewashed west wing provides at- sion in the town centre, and is owned by a mospheric self-catering accommodation French chef – the hotel’s bistro serves light (%01261-843722; www.fordycecastle.co.uk; per meals (mains £6 to £10), while Restaurant week £395-595, 3 nights in low season £295) for L’Auberge off ers the fi nest French cuisine up to four people. (à la carte mains £29 to £35, three-course The nearby Joiner’s Workshop & Visi- dinner £31). tor Centre (admission free; h10am-8pm Thu- Banff Links Caravan Park CAMPSITE £ Mon Jul & Aug, 10am-6pm Fri-Mon Sep-Jun) has (%01261-812228; Banff; tent/campervan from a collection of woodworking tools and ma- £8/14; hApr-Oct) This camp site is beside chinery, and stages woodwork demonstra- the beach, 800m west of town. tions by a master joiner.

8 Getting There & Away FOCHABERS & AROUND NORTHEAST SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE & MORAY Bus 305 runs from Banff to Elgin (1½ hours, POP 1500 hourly) and Aberdeen (two hours), while bus 273 Fochabers sits beside the last bridge over runs less frequently to Fraserburgh (one hour, the River Spey before it enters the sea. The twice on Saturday only). town has a pleasant square, with a church and clock tower dated 1798, and a handful P O R T S O Y of interesting antique shops. POP 1730 West of the bridge over the Spey is Bax- The pretty fi shing village of Portsoy has an ters Highland Village (www.baxters.com; atmospheric 17th-century harbour and a admission free; h10am-5pm), which charts the maze of narrow streets lined with pictur- history of the Baxter family and their well- esque cottages. An ornamental stone known

known brand of quality Scottish foodstuff s, ENTERTAINMENTMORAY as Portsoy marble – actually a beautifully founded in 1868. There’s a factory tour with ENTERTAINMENT patterned green-and-pale-pink serpentine – cookery demonstrations on weekdays. was quarried near Portsoy in the 17th and Four miles north of Fochabers, at the 18th centuries, and was reputedly used in mouth of the River Spey, is the tiny vil- the decoration of some rooms in the Palace of lage of Spey Bay, the starting point for the Versailles. Beside the harbour, the Portsoy Speyside Way long-distance footpath (p 32 ). Marble Shop & Pottery (Shorehead; h10am- 5pm Apr-Oct) sells handmade stoneware and objects made from the local marble. Each year on the last weekend in June SUENO’S STONE or fi rst weekend in July, Portsoy harbour The tidy town of Forres, 4 miles south is home to the Scottish Traditional Boat of Findhorn, is famous for Sueno’s Festival (www.scottishtraditionalboatfestival. Stone, a remarkable, 6.5m-high Pict- co.uk), a lively gathering of historic wooden ish stone. It is the tallest and most sailing boats accompanied by sailing races , elaborately carved Pictish stone in live folk music, crafts demonstrations, Scotland, dating from the 9th or 10th street theatre and a food festival. century, and is thought to depict a The 12-room Boyne Hotel (%01261- battle between the Picts and invading 842242; www.boynehotel.co.uk; 2 North High St; Scots or Vikings. It’s protected from s/d £40/72) is a cosy and atmospheric place the elements by a huge plate-glass to stay, while the Shore Inn (Church St) is a box, and is signposted from the main characterful real-ale pub overlooking the A96 Inverness-to-Elgin road at Forres. harbour. Findhorn Heritage Centre (www.fi ndhorn 258 CULBIN FOREST -heritage.co.uk; admission free; h2-5pm daily Jun-Aug, 2-5pm Sat & Sun May & Sep), housed in On the western side of Findhorn Bay a former salmon-fi sher’s bothy at the north- is Culbin Forest (www.culbin.org.uk), ern end of the village, records the history a vast swathe of Scots and Corsican of the settlement. The beach is just over pine that was planted in the 1940s to the dunes north of the heritage centre – at stabilise the shifting sand dunes that low tide, you can see seals hauled out on buried the Culbin Estate in the 17th the sandbanks off the mouth of the River century. The forest is a unique wildlife Findhorn. habitat, supporting plants, birds and Hippies old and new should check out animals (such as the pine marten) that the Findhorn Foundation (www.fi ndhorn. are normally found only in ancient org; hvisitor centre 10am-5pm Mon-Fri year- natural pine woods. round, plus 1-4pm Sat Mar-Nov & 1-4pm Sun May- The forest is criss-crossed by a Sep), an international spiritual community maze of walking and cycling trails founded in 1962. There’s a small permanent which lead to a fantastic beach near population of around 150, but the com- the mouth of Findhorn Bay, a great munity receives thousands of visitors each birdwatching spot. Check the website year. With no formal creed, the community for more info, or pick up a leafl et from is dedicated to cooperation with nature, local tourist offi ces. ‘dealing with work, relationships and our environment in new and more fulfi lling ways’, and fostering ‘a deeper sense of the It’s also home to the WDCS Wildlife Centre sacred in everyday life’. Projects include an

NORTHEAST SCOTLAND (www.wdcs.org; Tugnet Ice House; admission free; eco-village, a biological sewage-treatment h10.30am-5pm Apr-Sep) with an interest- plant and a wind-powered generator. Guid- ing display on the Moray Firth dolphins, ed tours (£5) start from the visitor centre which can occasionally be seen off the at 2pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and mouth of the river, and a pleasant cafe. Saturday from April to November, and on Fochabers is on the Aberdeen-to-In- Sunday as well from April to September, or verness bus route. you can take a self-guided tour with guide- book (£3.50). FINDHORN POP 885 There are two good places to eat: the The attractive village of Findhorn lies at Bakehouse (mains £5-10; h10am-5pm), an or- ganic bakery and cafe in the village centre, ABERDEENSHIRE &ABERDEENSHIRE MORAY the mouth of the River Findhorn, just east of the Findhorn Bay nature reserve. It’s a and the Blue Angel Cafe (www.blueangelcafe. great place for birdwatching , seal-spot- co.uk; mains £3-9; h10am-5pm; W), an organic ting and coastal walks. and vegetarian eatery in the Findhorn Foundation’s eco-village.

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