ABOYNE 365 £1 5s. per month.) Some of the hotels rent a stretch of fishing on the Dee, and trout-fishing may be had on the Feugh, which enters the Dee at Banchory. The south Deeside road from Aberdeen crosses, a mile short of Banchory, the narrow Bridge of Feugh, one of the sights of DEESIDE. the neighbourhood. The Hill of Fare (1,543 feet), 5 miles to the north, is a fine Aberdeen to Ballater and Braemar. viewpoint. Five important routes go westward and northward from Aberdeen :— An interesting road runs southward through Strachan, The Deeside road (see below). Glen Dye and over Cairn o' Mounth to Fettercairn (19 miles), The direct road north-westward to Fochabers and Elgin—the Edzell (24 miles), and Brechin (30 miles). (See p. 351.) principal route for Inverness, Strathspey and the far North (see p. 376). The Strathdon road (see p. 401) which joins the foregoing route at Westward from Banchory the road follows more or less Huntly. the windings of the Dee. North of Kincardine O'Neil The coast route via Cruden Bay to Peterhead (see p. 392) and The shorter road driving straight north to the coast at Banff (see p. 396). a few miles is Lumphanan, where a cairn is said to mark the Grave of Macbeth, who, according to Wyntoun, S a touring centre Aberdeen is chiefly renowned for the chronicler, fled hither after his defeat at Dunsinane, A its proximity to the grand road through Deeside, and was killed here, and not at Dunsinane as Shake- past Balmoral to Braemar, and although the improvement speare has taught us to believe. of the Glenshee route from Blairgowrie has led to a greater So past the Loch of Aboyne to Aboyne, 32£ miles use of this route as a means of reaching Aberdeen, Dee- from Aberdeen, an attractive village built around a large side scenery at its best is revealed only to those travelling green between the road and the river, here crossed by a westward, towards the high mountains instead of away suspension bridge. The neighbourhood is thickly wooded. from them. The railway serves as far as Ballater (43-J Aboyne is about 400 feet above sea-level. The climate miles), whence motor-buses make several journeys each is bracing, and there is a good 18-hole golf course. (Visi- way daily. Except for several miles beyond Banchory, tors : 2s. per day (Sundays, 2s. Qd) ; 7s. Qd. per week ; road and rail keep close company all the way from Aber- 12s. 6d. per fortnight ; £1 5s. per month.) The host of deen to Ballater. As far as Banchory motorists have a the Huntly Arms Hotel has several miles of fishings on choice of routes, roads following either side of the Dee. both banks of the Dee, divided into beats, which he lets Beyond Cults, 5 miles from Aberdeen, there is an ex- to guests. The Aboyne Highland Games, held in the first tensive panorama of pleasant scenery, and on the left, week of September, are the great event of the holiday almost hidden from view, is Blairs Roman Catholic Col- season. Aboyne Castle, long the family seat of the lege. Ten miles from Aberdeen, on the right, is Drum Marquises of Huntly, stands close to the village. Within Castle, the seat of the ancient family of Irvine. It is the policies are the remains of a Druidical circle, a sculp- a large Tudor edifice, built in 1619, with a keep said to tured stone, and what is known to archaeologists, as the have been erected by William the Lion at the end of the Aboyne Ogham Stone. twelfth or beginning of the thirteenth century. Another There are many delightful walks in the neighbourhood, 5 miles and there appears on the right Crathes Castle, particularly one through the glen known as the Fungle, skirt- one of the finest of the ancient castellated buildings in ing the Ault-dinnie Burn. From the resting-place at the head the country. a magnificent view is obtained. Another pleasant walk is on Banchory, 17 miles from Aberdeen, nestles in one of the Hill of Mortlich, formerly crowned by a monument to the the prettiest spots on Deeside (Hotels : Banchory, Tor- tenth Marquis of Huntly. Other pedestrian excursions recom- na-Coille (32 rooms; R. and b,, 11s.), Burnett Arms, etc.) mended are : to Glen Tanner, a highly picturesque glen run- There are bowls, tennis and golf. (Visitors : 2s. per day ; ning towards the south-west from the vicinity of Aboyne Sus- Sundays, 2s. 6d. ; 7s. 6d. per week ; 12s. (Jd. per fortnight; pension Bridge ; to Mount Keen (3,077 feet), at the head of 364 366 BALLATER LOCHNAGAR 367 the deer forest of Glen Tanner ; to the Forest of Birse, and east side of the loch climbs to cross into the valley of the stream to Lochs Kinord and Davan. Further particulars will be leading into Glen Clova, which can be followed to Clova (19 found in the Ward, Lock Guide to Aberdeen and Deeside. miles) and Kirriemuir (see p. 348). The more direct path, the Capel Mounth, leaves the road to the Loch about half a mile Prom Aboyne the road runs through woods and across beyond the Spittal of Glen Muick (see p. 349). Dinnet Moor to Dinnet (hotel), a picturesque hamlet, near From Glen Muick House, about 2 miles from Ballater Bridge, which is a pretty lake. A short way up the stream run- a track climbs eastward, passing just north of Cairn Leuchan ning into the west side of Loch Kinord, beside Dinnet, (2,293 feet) and into Glen Tanner, at the foot of which is is a singular granite chasm which has given to the stream Aboyne (p. 365). In the other direction the path leads out of the name of " The Burn of the Vat." Westward of Dinnet the head of Glen Tanner and by the Mounth Road crosses the is Cambus o' May (hotel), where the pink granite is west shoulder of Mount Keen at a height of 2,504 feet to the Queen's Well in Glen Mark, and so to Tarfside (16 miles). quarried in huge blocks. On the other side of the Dee, Edzell (28 miles), Brechin (36 miles from Ballater) (see p. 350). 3 miles west from Dinnet Bridge, is Ballaterich, where Lochnagar (3,786 feet) (so called from the lochan beneath Byron spent some of his youthful days, and on this side its northern precipice—Loch-na-gar, the "goat's loch") is a of the river, but 2 miles farther west, is Pannanich finely shaped mountain, and its ascent is both pleasant and Wells (hotel), where are chalybeate springs. remunerative. The ascent is usually made from Braemar, but it can also be Ballater. conveniently made from Ballater (allow 4 to 5 hours). Angling.—Salmon and trout in the Dee; fishings rented during the season, so The summit is about 13 miles from Ballater by the route here des- that local inquiry is desirable. cribed. From Ballater a public road on the east side of the Muick Distances.—Aberdeen, 42 m. ; Aboyne, 111 m. ; Banchory, 24 m.; Braemar. leads to the Spittal of Glen Muick (9 miles), whence a footpath crosses 10J m. the glen to Alltnaguibhsaich, where the Lochnagar path commences. Early Closing.—Thursday. Golf.—The course has a setting of some of the wildest and grandest scenery in The road on the west side of the glen is in much better condition but the Highlands. Visitors : 2s. per day ; 8s. per week ; 25s. per month ; it is private for the greater part of its length. It is usually open £2 5s. per season. except during the Shooting season, but enquiries should be made at Hotels—Inveramld Arms (45 rooms ; B. & b., fr. 10s. 6<i), Loirston (temp.) (35 Ballater before starting. The lower part of Glen Mulch is very rooms; R. & b., fr. 8s.), Alexandra, Balmoral (temp.) (12 rooms; E. & b., beautiful but the upper part, beyond the Linn, is rather bare. The fr. 8s.). path up Lochuagar is very well denned and perfectly easy although Population.—1,196. rather steep at one place known as " The Ladder." From the top of the Ladder the path passes close to the edge of the magnificent northern Ballater is a modern, well-built village, 660 feet above recipice, passes to the right of the first summit (3,768 feet), and -^ mile sea-level. It stands like a sentinel at the entrance to the Eirther on reaches the highest summit, on which there is an excellent upper and, for many, most characteristic portion of Dee- View Indicator. The ascent from Alltnaguibhsaich should take from side—the lovely valley between wooded hills which winds 2J to 3|- hours. "The foreground shows but little variety, the only break in the past Crathie and Balmoral to Braemar. Ballater is also general barrenness being supplied by the Dee valley, a strip of which " railhead " for Upper Deeside, and although the motor is visible near Balmoral, The distant prospect, however, is enhanced has usurped some of its importance the station is often by the contrast between the rich lowlands of Aberdeenshire, reaching awav to the North Sea, and the wild assemblage of billowy mountain- very busy indeed. In addition to golf, fishing, tennis, heights, which stretch as far as the eye can travel in every other direc- etc., indoor entertainments are organized during the tion. To the north-west, the giant family of Ben Macdhui closes season, and the village is an admirable centre for walkers. the view. Northwards there is no material object, except atmosphere, to obstruct the view over Ben Rinnes and the Moray Firth to the Rising between the present main road and the Pass of Ballater headlands of Caithness.