Grampian Region & Mountains Attractions
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Top Tourist Attractions in Grampian Region & Mountains
Grampian Region was created by the local government reforms of 1975. It incorporates the old counties of Aberdeenshire, Kincardine, Banff and a large part of Moray.
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Peterhead, Scotland
Scotland's most easterly town the busy port of Peterhead (pop. 18,000) was founded in 1593 by the fifth Earl Marischal George Keith. Now the countless oil tanks by the harbor are proof that the town receives an important share of the work supplying the oil rigs out at sea.
Fish Market
Peterhead's fishing port is the largest in the country. Earlybirds can see for themselves the bustling activity around the fish auctions on workday mornings.Peterhead's fishing industry focuses on three species - Demersal, Pelagic, and Shellfish.
Arbuthnot Museum
Arbuthnot Museum in St Peter Street documents the history of the town's herring and whaling industry.
Salmon Fish House
The oldest salmon smokehouse in Scotland (1585) is situated by the River Ugie opposite the golf course. Both fresh and smoked salmon are available here.
Bullers of Buchan
Bullers of Buchan is a rocky chasm 230ft/70m deep (7mi/12.6km to the south of Peterhead). Thought to be a cave that collapsed, this open-air bubbling cauldron makes a spectacular sight particularly when the sea is rough (cliff footpath from the parking lot).
Cruden Bay
The resort of Cruden Bay (pop. 490) is noted for its 2m/3km long sandy beach and an excellent golf course, frequently a venue for international competitions.
Slains Castle
The writer Samuel Johnson wrote that Slains Castle - built in the 16th century and extended in the 19th century - was the most beautiful castle that he had ever seen. Now sadly it is just a ruin perched on a steep rock. Another writer, Bram Stoker, visited the castle when it was still intact and the home of the 19th Earl of Errol. It provided him with the inspiration for his legendary Count Dracula story.
Fraserburgh, Scotland
First the A952 and then the A92 link Peterhead with the fishing port of Fraserburgh (pop. 12,000) at the northeastern tip of Scotland. In 1570 Alexander Fraser, the eighth laird of Philorth, built a fortress at the edge of the town but by the 18th century it had been converted into Scotland's first lighthouse. The nearby haunted Wine Tower, however, is Fraserburgh's oldest building (early 16th century).
Memsie Cairn
Close on 4mi/6km from Fraserburgh to the south stands a burial mound that is thought to date from the Bronze Age.
Museum of Scottish Lighthouses
Museum of Scottish Lighthouses tells the story of Scottish Lighthouses. A visit includes a guided tour of Kinnaird Head Lighthouse.
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Castle Trail
A collection of intact and ruined castles in the Grampian Region constitute the Castle Trail.
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Scotland - North East Coastal Trail
This driving tour is a good way to see the coastal villages and harbors between Fraserburgh and Portgorden.
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Keith, Scotland
Keith (pop. 4,900) was founded in 1746 under the name Milltown.
Rothes, Scotland
Rothes (pop. 1,400) was founded in 1766. Rothes Castle is an ancient stronghold of the Leslie family, with only one wall remaining of the 11th century castle.
Alford - Brideswell Riding Stables
The stables have direct access to the foothills of the Grampians, with trails running through mature forests as well as open hills. Pony trekking, trail riding, carriage driving, dressage and instruction are all offered and local accommodation can be arranged.
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Speyside Way Walking Trail
The 42mi/68km route runs from Spey Bay on the Moray Firth south through the river valley to Craigellachie in Morayshire. From there, the trail follows the former Strathspey railway line to Ballindachoch, to Ben Rinnes, Glenlivet and finally Tomintoul, one of the highest villages in Britain.
Aboyne - Glen Tanar Equestrian Centre
The Glen Tanar Equestrian Centre offers the opportunity trek the Grampian mountains along river-side trails and mountain tracks. Instruction is available and there are horses and ponies for riders of all abilities.
Aden Country Park
Nature trails and well-tended gardens are to be found at Aden Country Park about 10mi/16km west of Peterhead. Films, models and tapes in the Agricultural Heritage Center bring 200 years of rural history to life.
Deer Abbey
The remains of a Cistercian abbey founded in 1218 by William Comayn are located 1mi/1.6km further west from Aden Country Park. Since the 17th century the red sandstone from the Early English style church has been taken by local builders.
Carrbridge - Grampian Highland Riding
Ride across Scotland on horseback or just follow a short local trail in the magnificent Grampian mountains. There are options for riders of all abilities. Pony trekking is also available.
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Deeside - Lewiston Stables
The stables offer day and week-long packages in tuition and riding. There are supervised treks through the Grampians as well as picnic rides, evening barbecue rides and gymkhana. Unaccompanied children over age eight are welcome.
Huntly - Auchinhandoch Farm
This center offers horse-back rides across Scotland, on Britain's longest trail ride. The 9-day course begins in Aberdeenshire and runs to Wester Ross on the Atlantic Coast.
Dufftown, Scotland
Founded by James Duff, Dufftown (pop. 1,700) was once an important center for textiles.
Auchindoun Castle
On a lonely hill in the middle of an Iron Age fortress site about 3mi/4.8km southeast of Dufftown stand the remains of Auchindoun Castle. A well-preserved curtain wall surrounds the L- shaped tower house which was built by Robert Cochrane in the 15th century.
Balvenie Castle
The picturesque ruins of Balvenie Castle, once the seat of the Comyns family, date from the 13th C. The fourth Earl of Atholl extended the tower house at the end of the 15th C and added an ornate battlemented clock tower. Mary Stuart is said to have stayed at the castle in 1562 and Cumberland's troops stopped off here on their way to Culloden in 1746.
Craigellachie - Speyside Cooperage
Coopers can be seen at work in Craigellachie's Dufftown Road. Oak from the American states of Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee is used in the production of wooden barrels that are expected to last for 40 years or more. Old barrels are often burnt as firewood in salmon smokehouses.
Telford Bridge
The Telford iron bridge (1814), the work of Thomas Telford, stands at the north end of Dufftown. It is guarded by two stone towers and until 1973 when a new bridge was opened it was the main crossing point over the River Spey.
Charlestown, Scotland
According to legend, St Dunstan once used the Aberlour springwater in Charlestown for baptisms.
Charlestown Shipwreck & Heritage Centre
The Charlestown Shipwreck and Heritage Centre has the largest and most wide ranging exhibition of relics recovered from shipwrecks in the UK. Cornwall is famous for its shipwrecks, and you will find the displays provide insight into the history of both Charlestown and the province.
Grantown-on-Spey, Scotland
The pleasant town of Grantown-on-Spey on the A95 is a good base for a tour of the Spey valley. It is also noted for its 18-hole golf course.
Buckie, Scotland
Buckie (pop. 7,763) is located 13mi/21km east of Elgin.
Tugnet Ice House
West of the Buckie Museum in an old ice store (1830) at the mouth of the River Spey, a museum explains the background to the Spey salmon grounds and also details some aspects of the local fauna and flora.
Buckie Fishing Heritage Cottage
Buckie's Heritage Cottage examines the arduous life of the herring fishermen and the development of boat design and fishing nets.
