ROYAL ROUTES

Today we travel through the heart of Deeside, a popular visitor destination since made Balmoral the ofcial summer home of the Royal Family. With colourful grouse moors, Scots pine woods and misty blue mountains, this regal landscape sits in the magnifcent valley of the River Dee, scattered with attractive towns and villages. Visit the station in where the Royal Family arrived for summers on Deeside and follow in royal footsteps to . Visit Castle and have a riverside walk.

See overleaf for step by step route instructions. Royal Routes

Before you set out: Crathie and Balmoral • Book accommodation and dinner at Braemar Leaving our car at the Crathie Kirk, we follow the Lodge Hotel (www.braemarlodge.co.uk) road over the River Dee via the Brunel Bridge and or at Schiehallion House enter the grounds of . We’re very (www.schiehallionhouse.com) taken with Queen Mary’s Garden and the Water Garden and, inside, the magnifcent ballroom. We to Ballater spend the afternoon exploring the castle and its extensive gardens and grounds before leaving for We start the day with the short walk to Burn o’ Vat; Braemar. If we are here in August or September, leaving Dinnet we take the frst turn to the right when Balmoral is closed to the public, we’ll visit after . Back on the A9 we head west, Royal Distillery instead to see the team but very soon we stop to look inside AA Box 472 tending to a traditional mashtun, gleaming copper and sign the visitors’ book. A few hundred metres stills and flling casks - and having a wee taste of further on we stop to take a look at the Cambus this fne whisky! o’ May Suspension Bridge. Carrying on, we drive alongside the River Dee and in a short while we Ballater to Braemar turn into the Cambus o’ May Creamery to see the Visiting is a very diferent fascinating art of cheesemaking taking place from experience from Balmoral – it’s very much older their viewing platform. We have a cofee across and is now operated by the community of Braemar, the road at Crannach Bakery and then continue who are delivering an ongoing programme of to Ballater, passing the ruins of Church restoration. We’re planning to stay at Braemar on our left. Lodge Hotel or Schiehallion House, so we check Ballater in and then take a look at the Braemar Gallery’s exhibition of contemporary Scottish art. After We wander round this picturesque Victorian dinner we have a circular stroll along the Rivers village, browsing independent craft shops and Dee and Clunie and through the village or drive galleries before visiting Ballater Station and its out to spectacular Linn of Dee; if we’re feeling museum, a beautiful wooden building that has energetic we may walk to Linn o’ Quoich. been lovingly restored to its former glory. You can step inside a refurbished carriage of Queen Victoria’s royal train, go inside her waiting room at the station and read about the history of Queen Victoria’s family and the -Ballater railway line. We’re now ready for lunch at the Brown Sugar Café or The Bothy before driving to Crathie.