Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Around Aberdeen
HADDO HOUSE
Designed in Georgian style by William Adam in 1732,
Haddo House
(NTS; 0844 493
2179; adult/child £9.50/7; tours 11am, 1.30pm & 3.30pm daily Jul & Aug, Fri-Mon
Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct)
is best described as a classic English stately home transplanted to
Scotland. Home to the Gordon family, it has sumptuous Victorian interiors with wood-
panelled walls, Persian rug-scattered floors and a wealth of period antiques. The beautiful
grounds and terraced gardens are open all year (9am to dusk); guided tours of the house
are best booked in advance.
Haddo is 19 miles north of Aberdeen, near Ellon. Buses run hourly Monday to Saturday
from Aberdeen to Tarves/Methlick, stopping at the end of the Haddo House driveway; it's
a mile-long walk from bus stop to house.
CASTLE FRASER
The impressive 16th- to 17th-century
Castle Fraser
(NTS; adult/child £9.50/7;
11am-5pm Jul & Aug, noon-5pm Thu-Sun Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct)
is the ancestral home of
the Fraser family. The largely Victorian interior includes the great hall (with a hidden
opening where the laird could eavesdrop on his guests), the library, various bedrooms and
an ancient kitchen, plus a secret room for storing valuables; Fraser family relics on display
include needlework hangings and a 19th-century artificial leg. The 'Woodland Secrets'
area in the castle grounds is designed as an adventure playground for kids.
The castle is 16 miles west of Aberdeen and 3 miles south of Kemnay. Buses from
Aberdeen to Alford stop at Kemnay.
FYVIE CASTLE
Though a magnificent example of Scottish Baronial architecture,
Fyvie Castle
(NTS;
adult/child £11/8; 11am-5pm Jul & Aug, noon-5pm Sat-Tue Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct)
is
probably more famous for its ghosts, which include a phantom trumpeter and the mysteri-
ous Green Lady. The castle's art collection includes portraits by Thomas Gainsborough
and Sir Henry Raeburn. The grounds are open all year (9am to dusk).
The castle is 25 miles north of Aberdeen on the A947 towards Turriff. A bus runs
hourly every day from Aberdeen to Banff and Elgin via Fyvie village, a mile from the
castle.
