Aberdeenshire

Located on the north-east coast of Scotland, Aberdeenshire stretches from the Banffshire coast in the north all the way around to St Cyrus National Nature Reserve in the east, featuring beautiful coastlines, pretty seaside towns, rugged cliffs and sandy bays. It also has some incredible mountains and farmland as it runs towards the Cairngorms National Park.

Aberdeenshire is still mostly untouched by tourism. With a gorgeous coastline, the Royal Deeside, and Cairngorms National Park it is the fourth largest region in Scotland.  There are 165 miles of coastline – from Stonehaven in the south to Cullen in the north, the Aberdeenshire coast has cute harbour villages, waves crashing over towering sea cliffs, and huge swathes of beautiful beaches. It also has more castles per acre than the rest of the UK – from the majestic Dunnottar, to the bright pink Craigievar Castle as well as Balmoral, the home of the Royal Family in Scotland.

The North East 250 is a four day two hundred and fifty mile road trip through the Cairngorms National Park to Royal Deeside, through the city, and up Scotland’s east coast to the Moray Firth and Speyside. Alternatively there is the Aberdeenshire Coastal Trail. A  one hundred and twenty mile drive covering the entire coast from St Cyrus to Portsoy. Visiting Dunnottar Castle, fish and chips in Stonehaven and stops in the tiny coastal villages hugging the Banffshire coast.

Finally there are the ninety mile ‘snow roads’ that take you through the heart of the Cairngorms from Blairgowrie to Grantown on Spey, via Braemar and the edge of Aberdeenshire. The Cairngorms National Park has some of Scotland’s highest mountains and best walking in Scotland.