Food
Days Out
Beach
Bike & Hike
Sports
Nature
Gardens
Activities
Historical
Eating & Drinking
No recommended Eating & Drinking found within 30 miles of this property.
Fun Days Out
Battle Grounds Paintball Aberdeen is a premier gaming venue located in beautiful woodlands on the outskirts of Aberdeen. There are a choice of activities to choose from including Archery, Airsoft, Laser Tag and Paintballing each is thrilling and exciting. The facilities here are excellent well maintained and the arena designs for the games is excellent, the new Trench Warfare zone is fantastic, really realistic, the surroundings are perfect for these activities. They provide all the equipment which, again is maintained to an excellent standard. Safety is paramount here and they have an unblemished safety record, before any activity a full safety briefing is given, with clear and concise instructions. The staff throughout are great, so friendly, professional, patient and encouraging. The facilities are faultless with changing rooms, lockers, seating and catering onsite, it has everything you need for a superb day out. Battle Grounds Paintball Aberdeen are open Saturday and Sunday from 8.00am to 5.00pm, they offer a range of deals and packages so worth checking out their website for these, overall the activities are great value for money. If you are looking for an adrenalin rush and a day packed with adventure and fun then you need look no further than Battle Grounds you are assured a fantastic time and will leave wanting to return.
No visit to Speyside would be complete without a trip to the Speyside Cooperage, the only cooperage in Britain with a Visitor Centre. Here you can watch coopers make and repair the barrels for the whisky industry. There's also a gift shop and tearoom.
Hear about the history of Major James Grant, his impact on whisky and sample of some of the famous Glen Grant for yourself, before taking a a stroll through the beautiful grounds to see the plunging waterfall.
A world renowned attraction home to the Old shop museum and speciality shops. There are also culinary demonstrations and tastings, a children's adventure playground and family terrace.
A wonderful aquarium on the stunning Aberdeenshire coast. Marvel at the Moray Firth marine life and get up close and personal with some of the hundreds of invertebrates and fish who live there. A great way to delve into their underwater world and learn about the rich local ecosystem without taking a chilly dip in the North Sea!
Beach
No recommended Beach found within 30 miles of this property.
Biking & Hiking
Amateur and professional mountain bikers alike will love these cycle routes. There a 3 independent sites covering 18 miles (30 km), which can be coordinated in whichever way you desire. The most athletic will love all 3 sites from Fochabers to Craigellachie.
Golf & Sports
Ballater Golf Club is in a prime location in the beautiful countryside of Upper Deeside. It is an 18 hole, par 70, blend of parkland and heathland, medium length golf course, that is slightly rolling. There are a number of natural hazards with a number of the holes being near to the Rover Dee. It is a picturesque course with stunning views. The course is beautiful and in superb condition with fast fairways and lovely greens. The course will offer challenges to all level of golfer. It is a very warm and welcoming club and they extend a true Scottish welcome to all visitors. The Clubhouse has excellent facilities, it is roomy and has a warm and inviting atmosphere and they have a diverse menu that offers a great choice of dishes that are tasty and great value for money. Ballater Golf Club offers a good round of golf with lovely scenic views for an excellent price.
A beautiful course with some excellent facilities. From experienced golfers keen to work on their games, to novices looking for lessons; this golf centre caters for all. Set on the stunning Banffshire coastline, the area is a golfers haven and well worth a visit.
Nature Reserves
Housing an exhibition about the Moray Firth, dolphins and local wildlife, this wildlife themed visitor centre's location on the edge of a nature reserve affords frequent sightings of dolphins, seals, otters, osprey and wildfowl. There is also a shop and cafe.
Gardens & Woodlands
No recommended Gardens & Woodlands found within 30 miles of this property.
Local Attractions
World famous working distillery still owned and managed by the Grant family. Glenfiddich is unique in the fact that it is the only Highland Single Malt that is distilled, matured and bottled at its own distillery.
With its distinctive pagodas, cobbled courtyard and picturesque buildings, Strathisla Distillery is arguably the most beautiful distillery in Scotland. Founded in 1786, it is also the oldest operating distillery in the Scottish Highlands.
Woodend Barn is a multi-arts venue located in a charming converted barn in Banchory amongst lovely surroundings. It is a lively and vibrant cultural centre in the middle of Deeside and is extremely popular within the community. It has a comprehensive programme schedule with everything from live music events to exhibitions, theatre productions and films, opera and ceilidh nights, you are spoilt for choice. The Barn being the main performing space is highly equipped with all modern technologies for the customers benefit. The gallery is located in a converted byre, and is the sole independent contemporary art gallery in Aberdeenshire, it is modern and bright and displays a varied selection of local, national and international artists. The cafe is bright and spacious whilst maintaining a warm and inviting atmosphere, it is open throughout the day serving light snacks, lunches and dinner as well as a choice of beverages, the food is locally sourced, home cooked and delicious and is great value for money, service is excellent too. You also great wonderful views across the hills just outside Banchory. Relax in the Wild Garden and enjoy the delights of nature as you sit amongst the wild flowers or down by the small pond and savour the peacefulness. The venue is run by a team of staff and volunteers, who you will find to be extremely friendly and helpful. Woodend Barn is a great place to meet and socialise either with a coffee or at one of their events, it is a gorgeous venue and well worth a visit.
Go Health and Beauty are a mobile service that bring the spa to your home, workplace or wherever you choose. They offer a great choice of Alternative and beauty treatments with emphasis on Eastern and Western Holistic procedures. Each service is adapted to your personal needs and requirements and all treatments are discussed with you prior to your treatment starting. The therapist Natalia is a highly qualified and trained therapist who has many years experience and uses high quality products. The ideology is that rather than being a treat that some of these treatments form part of your regular health care. Whatever treatment you choose you will receive the best service and will feel refreshed and relaxed at the end of your treatment.
The Braemar Gathering is a popular Highland Games event that always takes place on the first Saturday in September, and is hosted in The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park. It is an extremely popular event that has taken place for the past 900 years and are attended by members of the Royal family. It is not surprising that the event sells out quickly with tickets going on sale almost a year in advance. There are a choice of ticket options available. There are lots of different games and activities taking place including, international athletes participating in the heavy and track events, pipers and dancers, a tug of war, hill race, bagpipe competitions, childrens sack race and lots more. The Braemar Gathering is world renowned for its friendly and hospitable welcome it extends to all visitors. It is a day long event and the weather cannot be depended on so it is best to dress to cover all eventualities. The Braemar Gathering is a brilliant community event with a friendly and bustling vibe and loads of entertainment and fun, a fantastic day out for everyone.
Loch Muick Reserve forms part of the Balmoral Estate. Loch Muick is located at the base of Lochnagar, one of Scotlands best mountains. The area is stunningly beautiful and the panoramic views are amazing, it offers wonderful photo opportunities. There is a real sense of calm and tranquillity about the area it offers the perfect escape from it all. The region has a number of marked walking trails that vary in length and difficulty, you can in fact walk all the way around the loch. If you choose to walk around the loch, you will pass Queen Victoria's hunting lodge where a waterfall cascades down the hills, beautiful. It is also home for a lot of native wildlife including grouse, deer, hare and various birds. The visitor centre is very helpful, it has lots of information and the staff are most helpful and very knowledgeable. It is recommended that you wear suitable footwear and warm clothing as it can get quite blustery here. Loch Muick Reserve is simply stunning and should not be missed if you get the opportunity to visit.
Revered by connoisseurs, The Glenlivet can only be made in one particular spot, in a single glen, in the heart of Scotland's malt whisky-making country. Delve into the intriguing mysteries of distilling — and of course, sample the golden magic that is The Glenlivet.
Take the tour and enjoy a dram at Glenfarclas, one of the few independent distilleries left in Scotland. It has been owned by the Grant family since 1865.
Royal Lochnagar Distillery is positioned beside Balmoral Castle and offers the ideal opportunity to find out how Scottish Whisky is manufactured. Still made to traditional methods, with the original type of equipment you will see the process from start to finish, barley to bottle. Water is taken from the local Scarnock Springs and local barley is also used in the process. The tour guides are very good they are friendly, knowledgeable and passionate in explaining the history of the distillery as well as the process of how the whisky is made. You are given the opportunity to smell the aroma of some of the older casks which, is interesting. At the end of the tour you are rewarded with a testing session of their award-winning Royal Lochnagar 12 year old single highland malt. Unfortunately children under 8 are not allowed in the production areas of the distillery. The tour is very interesting and informative nad there are a choice of tour options, they all offer excellent value for money.
aMazin! Adventure Park is a fun filled day out for all. They are located just outside of St Peter's Village and there is plenty of parking, as well a bus service. The park is clean and the equipment is well maintained. Admission includes all activities and there is no restrictions on how often you can use them. There is lots of activities to keep everyone entertained with jumping pillows, tractor rides, pedal go-karts, water fun, slides, walkways, rope walks, zip wires, cannons, farm animals and much more. It is the perfect day out regardless of the weather with the heated indoor barn you can visit throughout the year. There is a snack bar and the Snack Shack where there is a good choice of hot and cold dishes, snacks, cakes and drinks available. The staff are very friendly and helpful. They are open daily throughout the year and the admission prices are very reasonable, they offer a number of ticket options as well as annual membership, full details are on the website. aMazin! Adventure park offers a safe and fun environment where both children and adults can have loads of fun and with more than thirty activities available you can easily spend the day here, a great place for children and real value for money too.
Historical & Heritage Sites
Located on the banks of the River Ythan, Fyvie Castle is a fascinating 13th century fort. The childhood home of Charles I, the site of one of the many battles of Robert the Bruce and a family home this impressive castle was originally built by William the Lion in 1211. See if you can spot any of the ghoulish wanderings of the resident ghost!
Another of the castles visited by Mary Queen of Scots, Balvenie is a fine 13th century castle of enclosure with a curtain wall, first owned by the Comyns and added to in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Banchory Museum is a compact museum but still manages to pack a lot in, it has quite an eclectic collection of items and lots to interest everyone. It is conveniently located in the centre of the town not far from the high street. The museum narrates the local history of the town through displays, photographs and artefacts, in particular it centres on the life of local resident James Scott Skinner - the Strathspey King, a musician and composer. Other displays include Deeside's royal connections, 19th century tartans, Victoriana and Deeside's natural history and archaeology, from Mesolithic through to Bronze Age. There are both permanent and temporary exhibits here so always something new to see. The Museum is open throughout the year from but on specific days in winter and summer, best to check the website for full details, there is no charge for admission. A number of events are organised during the year and again details are on the website. Volunteers run the museum, you will find them to be very friendly and helpful and also knowledgeable on the history of the local area and items on display. Banchory Museum is the ideal place to go if wanting to get the local history on Banchory, a small but interesting and informative museum and certainly worth a visit if in the area.
Old Royal Station is beautifully restored with lots of its original features and is a reminder of a time gone by when the railroads were the main mode of transport. The station itself has a nice selection of Victoria and Albert history, with interactive displays and some activities for the children. The waiting room is beautiful so ornate and luxurious a real reflection of the grandeur of that time. The Royal railway carriage is an exact replica of the one that would have been used by Queen Victoria and her family and gives a real insight into how royalty travelled and what it would have been like when the Queen and her entourage arrived to holiday in Balmoral. The exhibition is very well done with lifelike figures all in period clothing. The entrance fee is only nominal and represents great value for money. The station itself has a long and interesting history and this is dealt with as well at the Old Royal Station. Old Royal Station is a lovely museum that gives a true reflection of life during that period, it is both interesting and informative and will appeal to all ages.
This 16th century castle, family home of the McPherson-Grants, lairds of Ballindalloch since 1546, offers (self-guided) tours, an audio-visual presentation, tearoom, shop, gardens, river walks, electric trains, an observation beehive and famous Aberdeen-Angus cattle herd.
The museum contains many artefacts and archives relating to the lives of the local people over the past century and displays information about the Glenesk area. There is a tearoom and gift shop.
