Aberdeenshire & Moray

Towns & Villages

ABERCHIRDER

Aberchirder Main Street - Photo: Greg Stringham CCL

This small town - colloquially known as Foggieloan, or ‘mossy track’ - lies close to the Moray Firth coastal route and started life as an estate village founded by Alexander Gordon in 1746. Nearby is the Bridge of Marnoch as well as prehistoric standing stones dating to 1800 BC. Of great interest is 16th-century Crombie Castle – stronghold of the ancient Innes Clan - and its neighbour, Kinnairdy Castle. The latter has a 14th century stone tower and 16th century palace.
 

ABERDEEN

At first glance this is a thoroughly grey city. Look beneath the surface, though, and it is uniquely fascinating. Known as the ‘Granite City’ thanks to the grey stone used in many buildings, it has terraced gardens, flower-decked parks – it’s famous for its displays of roses – and a skyline dotted with sky-touching spires, the most notable of which is the 195ft tower of St Nicholas Church. The city is famous for golf and is a popular seaside resort with two miles of golden beaches.

Typical granite houses in Belvidere St - Photo: Richard Slessor CCL

Aberdeen boat club on the Dee Estuary - Photo: Richard Slessor CCL

Lying at the mouth of the salmon rivers Don and Dee, it has an ‘old’ part containing fine architecture and the twin-spired 15th century cathedral of St Machar. Founded by the saint in 580AD, Aberdeen was called Devana by the Romans and was granted a royal charter in 1179 by King William the Lion. Within 200 years it was a prosperous port dealing in cargoes such as fish, wool and timber.

Aberdeen Harbour at sunset - Photo: Richard Slessor CCL

Aberdeen Beach - Photo: Richard Slessor CCL

Azalea garden at Hazlehead park - Photo: Richard Slessor CCL

ABERDEEN AIRPORT, DYCE

Situated at Dyce, north of the sprawling city of Aberdeen, this bustling, international airport boasts the busiest heliport in the world, helping thousands of oil riggers to reach their platforms out in the North Sea. Ferries sail from here to Orkney and the Shetlands Isles. Nearby is the golfing town of Newmachar.
 

River Don at Dyce - Photo: Richard Slessor CCL

ABERLOUR (CHARLESTOWN)

River Spey at Aberlour - Photo: Iain Macaulay CCL

Located at the heart of Speyside, this small village, otherwise known as Charlestown, may be noted for its salmon fishing and shortbread but it is world-famous for its single malt whisky produced since the early 19th century in a local distillery founded by John and James Grant. The oldest structure is a packhorse bridge which crosses the Lour burn.
 

ABOYNE

Based around a large green where a Highland Gathering takes place each year, Aboyne stands on the south side of the River Dee and is the ideal location from which to explore its picturesque surroundings. Its 13th century castle acted as a Gordon stronghold. The valley of Glen Tanar eventually leads to Glen Mark and the eastern Cairngorms, and at nearby Lumphanan lies Macbeth’s Cairn, reputed to be where Macbeth made his stand before being killed by Malcolm in the 11th century.
 

Winter on the Loch of Aboyne - Photo: Keith Grinsted CCL

ALFORD

Haughton Park Railway Station - Photo: Colin Smith CCL

This pretty market town, lying on the River Don on the fertile Howe of Alford, has a narrow gauge railway that carries visitors from a Victorian station through beautiful forest scenery. All manner of vehicles are on display at the local Grampian Transport Museum. Nearby Craigievar Castle looks almost Disneyesque and is practically unaltered since being built by the Forbes family in the early 17th century. In contrast, 14th century Kildrummy Castle - dismantled after the 1715 Jacobite rebellion - has been extensively restored. It has a splendid Alpine garden laid out by Japanese designers in 1904.

BALLATER

This is an irresistible resort lying on the River Dee in the menacing shadow of 3786ft Lochnagar. Nearby is a path which takes you to the 700ft summit of Craigendarroch (Hill of Oaks) and panoramic views. A one-time spa, it received the ultimate accolade when Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert purchased an old tower house nearby and converted it into Balmoral Castle in 1852.

The town, in upper Deeside, was largely created by Francis Farquson who built the original spa here after an old woman apparently cured herself of a skin condition by jumping into a bog at the foot of Pannanich Hill.
 

Bridge over the river Dee at Ballater - Photo: Daryl McKeown CCL

Ballater Golf Course - Photo: Greg Stringham CCL

Nearby is the Birkhall estate, on the River Muick, where a fine 18th century mansion bought from the Aberdalgie family was to become a residence for both the late Queen Mother and Prince Charles. A 19th century wire suspension bridge crosses the river. Close by is Crathie Church, a favourite haunt of the Royal Family.

BANCHORY

This small, ancient town sits stoically above the fast-flowing River Dee close to a number of forest walks. One path takes the visitor to the top of 1,000ft Scolty Hill, which has a monument to General Burnett, an officer in the Napoleonic Wars. His home was L-shaped Crathes Castle, a 16th century tower house said to be one of the finest Jacobean houses in Britain. Looking more like a chateau, it contains the Room of Nine Nobles, the Room of the Muses and the Room of the Green Lady - all famous for their painted ceilings. Its four-acre garden contains an ancient yew hedge while an ivory horn that once belonged to Robert the Bruce hangs in the Great Hall.

Banchory High Street - Photo: Richard Slessor CCL

BANFF

View of Banff across the mouth of the River Deveron - Photo: Anne Burgess CCL

This picturesque and mostly Georgian resort boasting miles of beaches sits at the mouth of the River Deverton on the Moray Firth. Made a royal burgh in 1372 by Robert 11, it prospered in the 18th century once it had acquired a harbour. Its castle was built in the mid-18th century but Banff’s most famous building is restored Duff House. Completed in 1740 and built by William Adam, it is now a satellite of the National Galleries of Scotland. The Biggar Fountain stands on the site of a gallows where, in 1701, a local outlaw went to his death playing the fiddle.

BRAEMAR

With Balmoral Castle in close attendance, high-flying Braemar sits eagle-like at a height of 1,100ft in the Cairngorm Mountains, attracting thousands of visitors each year. It is world-famous for its September Highland Games, which are frequently attended by the Queen. The colourful event dates to the 11th century when Malcolm 111 set up contests to find his strongest warriors.

Braemar Castle - Photo:  Colin Smith CCL

View over Braemar - Photo: Peter Ward CCL

Nearby, the grey-granite Balmoral Castle started life as a 15th century tower house. It was bought by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the mid-19th century and transformed into a royal residence in the Scottish baronial style. Crathie Church, where the Royal Family still worship, stands on a knoll and was built of granite in 1895. The summit of Lochnagar towers above Balmoral while, below, the Royal Lochnagar Distillery is an ever-popular crowd-puller. Its unique malt was Queen Victoria’s personal favourite.

BUCKIE

With bottlenose dolphins chasing surf out in the bay, this fishing port, seemingly crammed with traditional fishermen’s cottages and distinctive kirks, sits proudly on the north coast of Moray and is part of Scotland’s self-proclaimed ‘Riviera’. The area has a series of splendid beaches while its climate is regarded as mild. Behind the town lie the beautiful Cairngorm Mountains.

View over Buckie - Photo: Anne Burgess CCL

CRUDEN BAY

The Beach at Cruden Bay -
Photo: Richard Slessor CCL
 

Cruden Bay is a pretty coastal village with a fine small fishing harbour, good beaches and dunes, a championship golf course and, curiously, the echo of a vampire!

The peaceful beach scene opposite gives little indication of the activity that once was there.

In 1012, Cruden Bay was the site of a battle in which the Danes were defeated by the Scots and the name of the village is said to come from the Gaelic  for "Slaughter of Danes".

As is often the case with legislation, laws can have a negative effect. A building was taxable but a structure with no roof is not a building and is therefore not subject to tax. The castle and its contents had been sold in 1916 but when the new owner, Sir John Ellerman gave it up in 1920, its roof was removed to avoid tax and the building fell into decay. What a waste!

The Victorian era saw a great expansion which brought prosperity to Cruden Bay. In 1897 a railway branch line of the Great North of Scotland Railway Company was opened from Ellon to Boddam, and within a couple of years was built the golf course and a spectacular hotel (linked by its own tramway to the railway station). The company promoted Cruden Bay as a holiday destination for the gentry only 12 hours from London. Unfortunately the scheme failed. The railway was closed to passenger traffic in 1932, the hotel was requisitioned as an army hospital in 1939 and, although the railway had continued to be used for freight, it was eventually closed in 1945. All across the area visitors can see remains of the trackbed and bridges of this now defunct railway as it winds its way across the countryside.

The golf course, however, still survives and thrives.

Another claim to fame is that it was from here in June 1914 that the first flight across the North Sea started. Tryggve Gran, a 26 year old Norwegion serving as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps was determined to be the first to cross the North Sea from Scotland to Stavanger. He decided to fly from nearby Nethermill because there were many steamship routes between Peterhead and Stavanger. He thought that, should he get into difficulties and have to ditch in the sea, he would have a good chance of being picked up. The onset of the First World War meant that all civilian flights were to be banned from 6pm on 30th July so at 8am he set off in his plane "Ca Flotte", purchased from Louis Bleriot, but was forced back by fog to land on Cruden Bay beach. Eventually he took off and achieved his aim. A small memorial stands in the village.

Today, Cruden Bay attracts tourists. It has some small hotels and guesthouses, its well-known golf course, its magnificent long sandy beach and the small harbour area, more correctly called Port Erroll which is now home to just a few small fishing boats. Even in the height of summer the beach is uncrowded and there is no sign whatsoever of its biggest hidden secret. It was here beneath the sands of Cruden Bay, that the first North Sea Oil pipeline was laid to bring crude oil from the Forties field ashore. From here it is piped by underground pipeline to Grangemouth refinery.

BULLERS OF BUCHAN
Natural arch & sea caves

Just north of Cruden Bay is the spectacular Bullers of Buchan, an immense rock amphitheatre caused by a collapsed cavern and further carved out by the sea. It is close to the road, easily accessible on foot (though not with a wheelchair) and not to be missed. Care should be taken as it can be dangerous for children and animals.
 

CULLEN

This small fishing port on the north coast of Moray overlooks beautiful Cullen Bay, which boasts unusual rocks with names like Three Kings and the Bow Fiddle. The village was part-inspiration for ‘Portloise’ in George Macdonald’s famous novel ‘Malcolm’, published in 1875. The diarist and author Dr Johnson paid Cullen a visit in 1773. A haddock-based soup known as the ‘Cullen Skink’ has its roots here.

The upper part of Cullen was planned in 1832. When the railway was being built, the Countess of Seafield would not allow the track to be built through the grounds of Cullen house, so it was carried on viaducts through the town

Cullen Viaduct - Photo: Anne Burgess CCL

DUFFTOWN

Balvenie Castle, Dufftown - Photo: Anne Burgess CCL

This is the self-proclaimed ‘Malt Whisky Capital of the World’ and is where the River Fiddich and Dullan Water meet. It was founded by James Duff, 4th Earl of Fife, in 1817. Both the Glenfiddich Distillery and the Balvenie Distillery are nearby. They offer a chance for visitors to see how single malts are created in a process that has changed little since malts were first produced here in the 19th century.

A clock tower in the village centre houses an interesting museum while Balvenie Castle – now a ruin – is one of the oldest stone-built castles in Scotland’s. Two miles from Balvenie are the ruins of 15th century Auchindoun which was virtually destroyed during a battle involving rival clans in the 16th century.

ELGIN

Elgin Cathedral Ruins - Photo: Anne Burgess CCL

Built around a medieval street plan, this royal and ancient borough is today a key centre for tourists heading for the area known as Moray. Only a small part of the town’s castle survives but Elgin’s twice-ruined 13th century cathedral is considered one of Scotland’s finest ecclesiastical buildings. First burned down by Wolf of Badenoch, illegitimate son of Robert 11 in 1390, it is known as the ‘lantern of the north’.

ELLON

FINDHORN

Findhorn Bay - Photo: Anne Burgess CCL

This pretty village lies at the mouth of the Findhorn river and has a golden beach. Over the centuries its sands have swallowed up valuable farming land, forcing the village to move at least three times. During the 18th century it was a busy port but in 1829 it was overwhelmed by floodwater, with the river rising by an astonishing 49 feet.

More recently a so-called ‘New Age’ community has established itself here, led by the founders, Peter and Eileen Caddy, in the 1960s. Projects include a biological sewage works.