Page 265 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

There are Highland quarters! The main at-
1 Braemar games in many towns traction is learning about
Braemar is a pretty little and villages throughout Highland estate manage-
village with a grand the summer, but the best ment, rather than royal
location on a broad plain known is the Braemar revelations.
Gathering (www.brae
You can buy a booklet
ringed by mountains
where the Dee valley margathering.org), which that details several
and Glen Clunie meet. takes place on the first waymarked walks within
In winter this is one of Saturday in September. Balmoral Estate; the best
the coldest places in the 54 p269 is the climb to Prince
Albert’s Cairn.
country – temperatures
as low as -29°C have been The Drive » The upper valley The Drive » Continue east
of the River Dee stretches east
recorded. from Braemar to Aboyne. Made on the A93 for another 8 miles
Just north of the vil- famous by its long association to Ballater.
lage, turreted Braemar with the monarchy, the region is
Castle (www.braemarcastle. often called Royal Deeside. Head
co.uk; adult/child £8/4; east from Braemar on the A93 3 Ballater
h10am-4pm daily Jul & Aug, for 9 miles to the car park at the The attractive village of
Wed-Sun Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct; entrance to Balmoral Castle. Ballater owes its 18th- GREAT BRITAIN 19 ROYAL HIGHLANDS & CAIRNGORMS
p) dates from 1628 and century origins to the
served as a government TRIP HIGHLIGHT curative waters of nearby
garrison after the 1745 2 Balmoral Castle Pannanich Springs (now
Jacobite rebellion. It was bottled commercially as
taken over by the local Built for Queen Victoria Deeside Natural Mineral
community in 2007, and in 1855 as a private Water), and its prosper-
now offers guided tours residence for the royal ity to nearby Balmoral
of the historic castle family, Balmoral Castle Castle.
apartments. (%01339-742534; www. The village recently
balmoralcastle.com; Crathie; received a double dose
adult/child £11.50/5; h10am- of misfortune when the
5pm Apr-Jul, last admission Old Royal Station (its
LINK 4.30pm; p) kicked off the main tourist attraction)
YOUR revival of the Scottish burned down in May
TRIP Baronial style of archi- 2015, followed by the
tecture that characterises worst flooding in living
k Great Glen so many of Scotland’s memory in January 2016.
The stirring 19th-century country Most businesses were
wilderness of the houses. The admission open again by summer
northwest Highlands fee includes an interest- 2016, but the the station
awaits – it’s an hour and ing and well-thought-out may remain closed until
three-quarters west to audioguide, but the tour 2018.
Glen Coe. is very much an outdoor There are many pleas-
one through garden and ant walks in the sur-
f The Best of grounds. rounding area. The steep
Britain
As for the castle itself,
Head an hour and a half only the ballroom, which woodland walk up Craig-
endarroch (400m) takes
south to Edinburgh to displays a collection of just over one hour; ask
begin our epic loop of Landseer paintings and at the tourist office for
Britain’s greatest hits at royal silver, is open to the more info. If you’d rather
its midpoint. public. Don’t expect to cycle, you can hire bikes
see the Queen’s private
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