Discover Stirling & Northeast Scotland - Discover Scotland: Experience the Best of Scotland - page 395

Balmoral Castle
Eight miles west of Ballater lies Balmoral Castle, the queen's Highland holiday home, screened from the road by a
thick curtain of trees. Built for Queen Victoria in 1855 as a private residence for the royal family, it kicked off the
revival of the Scottish Baronial style of architecture that characterises so many of Scotland's 19th-century country
houses.
The admission fee includes an interesting and well thought-out audioguide, but the tour is very much an outdoor
one through garden and grounds; as for the castle itself, only the ballroom, which displays a collection of Landseer
paintings and royal silver, is open to the public. Don't expect to see the queen's private quarters! The main attraction
is learning about Highland estate management, rather than royal revelations. Guided tours are available on
Saturdays from October to December - check the website for details.

NEED TO KNOW
01339-742334; www.balmoralcastle.com ; adult/child £9/5;

10am-5pm Apr-Jul, last admission

4pm

Braemar
POP 400
Braemar is a pretty little village with a grand location on a broad plain ringed by moun-
tains where the Dee valley and Glen Clunie meet. In winter this is one of the coldest
places in the country - temperatures as low as -29°C have been recorded here - and dur-
ing spells of severe cold, hungry deer wander the streets looking for a bite to eat.
The tourist office ( 01399-741600; The Mews, Mar Rd; 9am-6pm Aug, 9am-5pm Jun, Jul,
Sep Oct, 10am-1.30pm 2-5pm Mon-Sat, 2-5pm Sun Nov-May) , opposite the Fife Arms Hotel, has
lots of useful info on walks in the area.

Sights & Activities

Just north of the village, turreted Braemar Castle ( www.braemarcastle.co.uk ; adult/child £6/3;
10am-4pm Sat Sun Easter-Oct, also Wed Jul-mid-Sep) dates from 1628 and served as a govern-
ment garrison after the 1745 Jacobite rebellion. It was taken over by the local community
in 2007, and now offers guided tours of the historic castle apartments.
An easy walk from Braemar is up Creag Choinnich (538m), a hill to the east of the vil-
lage above the A93. The route is waymarked and takes about 1½ hours.