TOURING : ACTIVITY BREAKS depends on weather conditions and snow Balmoral has been restored recently. ALL WHITE! cover; while the hills will likely be mantled The pond at Ballater is used regularly by in white, the valley may be clear or just the local club, members playing most sprinkled with fine snow. One option is the afternoons when the water is frozen. track alongside the River Dee to White They welcome those who wish to watch boasts 25 miles of pistes Bridge and beyond into Glen Dee, possibly and will happily introduce people to the ” returning via Glen Luibeg. rudiments of the game, which has Waterfalls on the Lui Water and the similarities to crown green bowls. “ broad Dee spewing through a narrow gorge There are four players in each team and at the Linn of Dee add to the rugged beauty the object is to slide a 40lb granite ‘stone’ by hereabouts, while nature lovers will no its handle along the ice to a target or ‘house’ doubt appreciate the chance to spot red comprising three concentric rings. squirrels and red deer. Sweepers with brooms can influence the There are so many other hiking stone’s movement by brushing the ice possibilities, but one I particularly liked immediately in front of it. Points are scored was around Loch Muick, near Ballater, for each stone in the ‘house’ and the starting from the visitor centre at Spittal winning team is the one with the most of Glenmuick. This is a fairly level route, points over eight or 10 ‘ends’. though the depth of snow can increase as If you need warming up after that, a visit you head south-west along the loch shore. to a whisky distillery might be the answer. At the far end of the loch, tracks lead The Royal distillery, by Balmoral steeply to higher ground, including the Castle between Ballater and , runs summit of Prince Charles’ favourite winter tours Monday to Saturday in March, mountain, Lochnagar – but you’ll need November and December, and Monday to more hard-hitting kit like crampons, Friday in January and February. ice-axe and helmet. Three tours are available, each showing the various stages of whisky production. STONE ME! The Lochnagar tour costs £6 and ends with No Scottish winter would be complete a dram of 12-year-old Royal Lochnagar; the without curling. For most of us, the only Lochnagar Family of Whisky tour costs INFORMATION time we ever see this obscure sport is during £12, including a dram of 12-year-old Royal SITE the Winter Olympics on TV, when it takes Lochnagar Distiller’s Edition and Selected Full details of Braemar place indoors. However, most venues in Reserve; the more in-depth Royal Tour Caravan Club Site ’s mountains are outdoors and costs £25 and includes coffee and (formerly The Invercauld) reliant on sub-zero temperatures to keep shortbread on arrival and ends with a can be found on p250 of the Sites Directory & shallow ponds frozen. special tasting of Royal Lochnagar through Handbook 2011/12. To Braemar’s curling pond, opposite the the ages. Admission includes £3 off the book, call 01342 327490 Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial purchase of any 70cl bottle of single malt. or see caravanclub.co.uk/ Don Jolly says Braemar is the perfect spot for Park, venue for the summer’s Highland After a day in the cold, a distillery tour searchandbook. Games, didn’t appear to be in use during and tasting will soon warm the body and DRAM-TASTIC those looking for some off-season activity thrills our visit, but a small pond at Easter soul. Slainte! ■

DID YOU Winter KNOW?

Curling is played onft wide a surface (or ‘sheet’)1 /2 146-150ft1 /2-16 long and wonderland 14 t the heart of the easy reach. Intermediates have 26 blue and 90 minutes) or privately (from £55 for , red routes from which to choose, while 90 minutes for one person, rising on a the Club’s Braemar site experts can have a crack at a couple of black sliding scale to £100 for four people) with makes for a superb year- pistes – the mogul-strewn Tiger on the side the qualified instructors of the Glenshee round activity-break base. of and a longer, hair-raisingly Centre Snowsports School. Lift passes AHere, though, I’m going to concentrate on steep run from the peak of . cost £29 per adult (£19 for under 16s and its winter sports appeal, for Braemar lies at Don’t forget to linger a while at the top – on over 65s) for one day, or £116 (£76) for 1,100ft, making snow highly likely during a sunny day, the views of the snow-covered five days (passport photo required). the off-season – music to the ears of skiers Cairngorms are out of this world. If you’d rather get your thrills at a Ordnance Survey Landranger Maps 43, 44 and snowboarders alike. Facilities available include full slower pace, then you’re also in the right CONTACTS Glenshee Ski Centre boasts 25 miles of equipment hire (and a shop if you want to place, for this is excellent walking country. ➜ Glenshee Ski Centre –call 013397 41320 or see pistes (over four mountains). There’s a buy your own gear), three cafés, plus A truly delightful spot to start any trek is ki-glenshee.co.uk (for Ski School call 013397 41010) beginners’ area right beside the main car instruction in both snowboarding and the Linn of Dee, six miles west of Braemar Curling is one of Scotland’s national sports ➜ Royal Lochnagar Distillery –call 013397 42700 or park and numerous green runs are within skiing, either in a class (from £22 for by a minor road. The route you choose see discovering-distilleries.com/royallochnagar

26 www.caravanclub.co.uk December 2012 The Caravan Club Magazine 27