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What to do and see in Banffshire and the Moray Coast

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Good information on Aberdeen

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Explore Moray.

The Castle Trail and the Whisky Trail are what the North East is best known for and there are certainly castles galore, including Crathes Castle and Gardens on Deeside, Castle Fraser on Donside, and Fyvie Castle south of Turriff – all in the care of the NTS and all with grounds to explore.

Among the many malt whisky distilleries are Glenfiddich and Glenlivet, Glen Garioch and Glen Grant – and at each you can sample a dram of the ‘water of life’ after a tour to see just how the whisky is distilled. Even non-whisky-drinkers will enjoy their visit.

Along the Moray Firth (an area well known for its mild and sunny climate) are several attractive fishing villages and beautiful beaches. Dolphins swim in the Firth and you can go out on a boat trip to see them. Also on the Firth are fishing villages such as Pennan (the setting for famous film ‘Local Hero’), Portsoy and Banff and Macduff – all popular with holiday-makers. Or you can head inland and visit the villages of Fochabers (home of Baxters, the well-known maker of soups and other Scottish produce), or Craigellachie, with Scotland’s only cooperage, where they make barrels to store whisky, or Fordyce, one of the prettiest villages in the North East.

Aberdeen is the main city, with a spectacular beach, as well as the Maritime Museum, Duthie Park and an Art Gallery and Museum. Royal Deeside to explore at leisure from Crathes Castle and Gardens (NTS) at Banchory, to Ballater, with its Victorian railway station and royal warrants above the shop doorways to indicate royal patronage, and on to Balmoral Castle, summer home of the royal family, where you can explore the grounds.
 

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