Places to visit in the Gordon area

The North East of Scotland has a variety of scenery that will bring you back again and again to this quiet corner of Scotland which has its own unique charm.
The pace of life is that much slower and the quality of living so much better.
There are towering cliffs, miles of golden beaches, historic villages, tumbling rivers, surging seas and rolling, rambling hills.
Take the Whisky Trail and track down some of the world's best known malts in local distilleries or follow the Castle Trail which will take you to some of the most spectacular and picturesque fortified homes in all of Scotland.
The magical North East is steeped in history. Here the massive invading army of King Canute was massacred before he turned tail to return later and conquer England. Here Robert the Bruce rampaged against the challengers to his throne. Here Saints Columba and Drostan introduced Christianity to ancient Pictland 1300 years ago.
But for a break from culture you can quickly escape to the seclusion of cliff top walks, long distance cycle trails, fish in our rivers....or golf on our many wonderful golf courses.

Castle Fraser is one of the grandest Castles of Mar. This magnificent building was completed in 1636 by two master mason families. It contains an evocative Great Hall, fine furniture and paintings. It has a walled garden, woodland walks, adventure playground, courtyard cafe, shop and plant sales.

Opening times: Castle, 13 Apr to 31 May and 1 to 30 Sep, daily 1.30-5.30; 1 Jun to 31 Aug, daily 11-5.30; weekends in Oct, 1.30-5.30 (last admission 4.45). Shop and cafe open at 12.30 when castle opens at 1.30. Garden all year, daily, grounds, all year, daily 9.30-sunset.

An air of mystery is created by the ghosts and legends associated with this castle. The oldest part dates from the 13th century, and within its ancient walls is a great wheel-stair, the finest in Scotland. Contemporary paneling and plaster ceilings survive in the 17th-century Morning Room and the opulence of the Edwardian era is reflected in the interiors created by the first Lord Leith of Fyvie. A rich portrait collection includes works by Batoni, Raeburn, Romney, Gainsborough, Opie and Hoppner, and there is a fine collection of arms and armour, and 17th-century tapestries.

The grounds and loch were designed as a landscaped parkland in the early 19th-century. The old walled garden is being re-created to show traditional Scottish fruits and vegetables. Visitors can also enjoy the restored racquets court, ice house, bird hide, restored earth closet and beautiful lochside walks.

Opening times: Castle, 13 Apr to 31 May and 1 to 30 Sep, daily 1.30-5.30; 1 Jun to 31 Aug, daily 11-5.30; weekends in Oct, 1.30-5.30 (last admission 4.45). Tearoom and shop open at 12.30 when castle opens at 1.30. Grounds, all year, daily 9.30-sunset.

Unusual for Aberdeenshire in that it is not a castle, Haddo House is proud to be the most homely of the north-east of Scotland's great houses open to the public. Designed by William Adam for the 2nd Earl of Aberdeen in 1732, but refurbished in the 1880s, the House elegantly blends crisp Georgian architecture with sumptuous late Victorian interiors by Wright and Mansfield. Noted for its fine furniture, paintings and objets d'art, Haddo also boasts a delightful terrace garden with geometric rosebeds and fountain, commemorative trees, a lavish herbaceous border, and secluded glades and knolls.. A magnificent avenue of lime trees leads to Haddo Country Park with its lakes, monuments, plaques and memorabilia build up a fascinating account of the Gordon family who have lived at Haddo continuously for over 400 years.

Paintings include works by Pompeo Batoni, William Mosman, Sir Thomas Lawrence and James Giles. Ecumenical chapel services most Sunday Evenings.

Opening times: house, 13 Apr to 30 Sep, daily 1.30-5.30; weekends in Oct, 1.30-5.3- (last admission 4.45). Generally guided tours, Mon-Sat. Occasionally some rooms may be closed to public view due to family occupation. Shop and restaurant, weekends in Mar, Apr and Oct, 11-5.30; 1 May to 30 Sep, daily 11-5.30. Garden, 1 Apr to 31 Oct, daily 9.30-6; 1 Nov to 31 Mar, daily 9.30-4. Country Park, all year, daily 9.30-sunset.

Slains Castle is one of the most famous ruins in Scotland. Situated a mile north of Cruden Bay off the A975, Slains was first erected in 1597 by the 9th Earl of Erroll. It replaces an earlier family seat to the south which was destroyed by James VI as punishment for Erroll's part in a revolt. Subsequent Earls rebuilt and added to the castle, the last great reconstruction being completed in 1837.

Johnson and Boswell visited Slains Castle during their travels in 1773 and described how "the walls of one of the towers seemed only to be a continuation of the perpendicular rock the foot of which is beaten by the waves"

Slains enjoyed its greatest days during the time of the 19th Earl when it often played host to the glittering actors, musicians and singers of the day. Amongst the guests was Bram Stoker who was entranced by the surrounding countryside which inspired many of his supernatural tales. In 1895 he began writing his best known tale, Dracula, while at Cruden Bay and he used Slains Castle as the inspiration for the castle of the evil Vampire. There is evidence in early drafts of the story that had the evil count coming ashore at Slains Castle. In the completed book this location became Whitby in Yorkshire, another place Stoker visited while writing the book.

Death duties forced the 20th Earl to sell the castle in 1916. the new owner allowed Slains to fall into disrepair until it was unroofed in 1925. All that remains now is the large ruin.

The centrepiece of this property is the Great Garden, originally laid out in 1675 by Sir Alexander Seton, 1st Baronet of Pitmedden. In the 1950s re-creation of the elaborate floral designs under the guidance of the late Dr James Richardson, three of the formal parterres were taken from designs possibly used in the gardens at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh in 1647. The fourth parterre is a heraldic design based on Sir Alexander's coat-of-arms.

On the 40 ha (100 a) estate is the Museum of Farming Life, Visitor Centre, herb and wildlife gardens.

Bennachie is a popular hill ridge set in the flat landscape of north-east Scotland, 528 metres high, and there are many legends and ballads associated with it.

How to get there:
By road, or by train to Inverurie or Insch, or by bus to Pitcaple.

The Forvie National Nature Reserve can be reached by road following the A975 coastal road from Aberdeen to Cruden Bay. Access to the Reserve can be gained via signposted entrances from the A975. The road itself skirts part of the Reserve, The Ythan Estuary.
It is managed by Scottish Natural Heritage. The estuary is the only one of its type in North-East Scotland, and Scottish Natural Heritage aims to protect its wildlife and allow visitors to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Reserve, without disturbing the wildlife residents.

The sand dune system is the fifth largest in Britain and the one least disturbed by people, making it a natural haven for birds. The soft mud flats are an ideal place for waders to feed and thousands throng here in the autumn and winter. There can be few sights as thrilling as a cloud of Golden Plovers wheeling in the sky, turning as one shifting shadow. The shingle beds are used by Terns to nest and raise their chicks. The number of bird species recorded to date is 225 with 43 of these as breeding species.

The Eider Duck, which nests on the moorland and in the sand dunes, is the bird which is most associated with the Ythan Estuary, where it has its biggest breeding colony in the U.K. with up to 6000 birds coming to the area in the summer. Even during the winter up to 1000 birds stay on the estuary with the rest of the population moving south to overwinter on the Tay Estuary. The reserve also contains the largest breeding colony of Sandwich Terns in Scotland (approx 1500), along with Artic , Common and the rare Little Tern.

The Grampian Transport Museum at Alford traces the history of road transport in the locality. There are regular exhibitions (tel 019755 62292 for details). In the railway museum you can see the recently restored Cruden Bay Hotel tramcar, which a century ago carried the wealthy hotel guests on the trip between the train station and the hotel. This elegant electrically powered vehicle is the last surviving reminder of the luxurious railway hotel which was meant to transform the Buchan village and its historic golfing links into the St Andrews of the north. The Alford Valley Railway, a 2ft narrow guage passenger railway, takes half hour trips from Alford Station to Haughton Country Park, then to Murray Park.

The Aden Country Park and Farming Museum near Mintlaw attracts some 200 000 visitors every year. As well as the farming museum and craft shop, you can visit Hareshowe working farm, a 1950's style farmhouse which was uprooted from its original location at New Deer in 1993. There is also a cafe and caravan site.
Location: Mintlaw is on the A92 about midway between Ellon and Fraserburgh. Travelling north, turn left at the roundabout and the park is on the right. Admission free. Open 1st May to 31st September, daily 11am - 4.30pm.

The Peterhead Maritime Heritage Centre, in Europe's premier white fish port, is set by the sea above the harbours of Peterhead, the Marina, and the Lido beach and caravan site. Visitors to this award winning building are taken on an informative voyage through the seafaring history of Peterhead. There is also a pleasant cafe and children's playground, with ample parking.
At the nearby town Marina there is a watersports centre and sailing club.
Location: on approaching Peterhead from Cruden Bay go straight ahead at the roundabout and the Centre is on your right as you approach the town.

The Bullers of Buchan is an open cave with perpendicular walls - not for the fainthearted! It is located off the A975 three miles north of Cruden Bay. This famous sea chasm is some 200 feet deep, where the ocean rushes in through a natural archway open to the sky. The cliff scenery here is some of the most spectacular in Britain.

From the car park you can follow a rough footpath, (a good head for heights is needed as parts of the path are very exposed) to the chasm and north to the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Longhaven Reserve, or follow the footpath south which will eventually bring you to Slains Castle.

The sea cliffs around this area are home to a multitude of seabirds.

The Formartine and Buchan Way is a cycle, walkway and linear nature reserve that stretches from Aberdeen (Dyce) to Peterhead and Fraserburgh.

The F.&B.W. from Dyce to Peterhead is 38 miles long and from Maud to Fraserburgh is 16 miles long; a total of 54 miles now being managed for recreation and wildlife.