Places to Visit, Things to Do and Days Out in or near Banchory

Explore the Stunning Grounds of Crathes Castle Crathes Castle´s walled garden is really eight gardens, ranging from the formal to the modern. The massive yew hedges were planted as early as 1702, while the Golden Garden was introduced by the Trust in 1973. Most famous of all are the June Borders, two lavish beds of herbaceous colour with the castle itself as a backdrop. Follow one of the marked trails out into the surrounding countryside. There are woodland, farmland and freshwater hab...

Visit the Enchanting Crathes Castle A wonderful 16th century granite tower house decorated with dramatic gargoyles, overhanging turrets and little conical roofs, Crathes Castle has four storeys and an attic to explore. The stand-out features of this classic L-tower house are the lovely painted ceilings, some retained in their original form and others beautifully restored. From the oak-panelled Long Gallery on the top floor of the castle the views down below of the castle gardens and o...

Explore one of Royal Deeside's top historic attractions at Drum Castle Drum Castle with its Garden of Historic Roses is a remarkably peaceful corner. Based in the Walled Garden, built around 1780, it is divided into four quadrants, each containing a design from one of the last four centuries together with roses from that period. The tea and floribunda roses seen today are the products of years of hybridising. Seven groups of roses are featured, from the historic Gallica group to the e...

Explore one of Royal Deeside's top historic attractions at Drum Castle The keep at Drum Castle is one of the three oldest tower houses surviving in Scotland. The original house was enlarged with the creation of a very fine Jacobean mansion in 1619 and a later addition during the reign of Queen Victoria. The castle was lived in, until 1975, for over 650 years by the Irvine family. Inside the house are an excellent collection of portraits and good Georgian furniture. The gardens were dest...

Discover 400 years of History at Castle Fraser, Gardens and Grounds The atmospheric baronial Castle Fraser was first constructed in 1575 and has a rich, noble and sometimes grusome history. The castle contains many Fraser family portraits, including one by Raeburn. Highlights include the Great Hall dating back to the 1400s, a library filled with family books, and the grand Worked Room featuring 18th-century embroideries. Outside, you have 140 acres of farmland to explore with woodlan...

Discover 400 years of History at Castle Fraser, Gardens and Grounds The atmospheric baronial Castle Fraser was first constructed in 1575 and has a rich, noble and sometimes grusome history. The castle contains many Fraser family portraits, including one by Raeburn. Highlights include the Great Hall dating back to the 1400s, a library filled with family books, and the grand Worked Room featuring 18th-century embroideries. Outside, you have 140 acres of farmland to explore with woodlan...