20 Attractions to Explore Near Balmoral Castle

Crathie Kirk is a small Church of Scotland parish church in the Scottish village of Crathie, best known for being the regular place of worship of the British royal family when they are in residence at the nearby Balmoral Castle. Crathie Kirk is now united with neighbouring Braemar to form a single parish with two places of worship. Eventually this parish will be further enlarged to include Glenmuick. The minister is the Reverend Kenneth Mackenzie. Mackenzie was previously minister of the Church

Royal Lochnagar distillery is situated on the south side of the River Dee close to Balmoral Castle. Age old traditions and craftmanship produce one of Scotland's most exclusive whiskies. A visit to Royal Lochnagar is a timeless experience. Today Royal Lochnagar is leased by Diageo from the Abergeldie Estate, and the distillery produces a relatively small amount of whisky, most of which is used in Johnnie Walker black and blue label.

Abergeldie Castle is a modest 16th century four-floor tower house overlooking the River Dee a short distance downstream of the Royal family’s hunting lodge of Balmoral Castle. It consists of a single rectangular tower with a round turret which serves all three floors and the attic, and is not accessible to the public. Behind it rises Creag nam Ban, a rounded granite hill about 527 metres high, and across the river to its front is the cairn-crowned Geallaig Hill, rising to 743 metres.

A 17th century castle with a colourful past and an exciting future. Built by the Earl of Mar in 1628, it has been hunting lodge, fortress, garrison and family home. The castle is centred on a round tower set within a curtain wall, and defended by an iron yett. The interiors feature fine furniture, including pieces by Chippendale and Hepplewhite. In summer it was a hunting lodge, but its main purpose was to defend the Mar estates against the neighbouring Farquharson clan of Inverey.

Lochnagar is a mountain in the Grampians of Scotland, located about five miles south of the River Dee near Balmoral. It is a popular hill with hillwalkers, and is a noted venue for summer and winter climbing. Adveture lovers can explore this area and can admire the stunning views from here.

The Braemar Gathering is known colloquially as The Games and originating from those believed to have been held by Malcolm III, an annual Highland Games Gathering is held at Braemar on the first Saturday in September and is traditionally attended by the British Royal Family.

Loch Muick is an upland, freshwater loch lying approximately 5 mi south of Braemar, Scotland at the head of Glen Muick and within the boundary of the Balmoral estate. one of Scotland’s finest mountains. The area has many walking routes and a variety of wildlife including grouse and deer.

Loch Callater is freshwater loch around five miles south of Braemar. The loch is surrounded by steep hills and so photo opportunities are abundant. The loch is around one mile in length. This area is popular with walkers and at the north end is the Callater Stable walkers' bothy.

Corgarff Castle is a tower-house, located on sloping land to the south of the River Don. Built as a hunting-lodge in the mid-sixteenth century, it was converted into a Hanoverian garrison in 1748. The lodge was reputedly built by the Earl of Mar, but passed to the Forbes family soon after. Corgarff itself briefly housed a distillery in the 1820s. A small whisky still from the period is displayed in one of the two pavilions added to the castle by the army.

Broad Cairn is a rocky Munro summit above Loch Muick in Royal Deeside. Sitting above undulating grassy plains and amongst other Munro peaks, the descent down Broad Cairn's boulderfield will test tired legs.The summit can be reached from many starting points which will be described later but the route I have chosen is from car park at the end of Glen Muick from Ballater.

Morrone is a Scottish hill immediately southwest of the village of Braemar in Aberdeenshire. The hill reaches a height of 859 metres (2818 feet) and qualifies as a Corbett and a Marilyn, although with a topographic prominence of 155 metres. Nearing the summit, one has a bird's-eye view of Braemar. The top of the hill is adorned with a radio mast and buildings dating from 1969, part of a University of Aberdeen research station. Braemar mountain rescue team also has a radio relay station on the s

Ben Avon is a very large and complex mountain sprawling over more than 30 km2. The summit plateau is dominated by granite tors, one of which forms the summit. From the broad summit plateau ridges lead in almost every direction, allowing access from Glen Avon to the north, from Beinn a' Bhùird to the west and from Gleann an t-Slugain in the south. To the west of the summit lies the massive corrie, Slochd Mòr, with its rocky cliffs, and the approaches from the south and west take you close to the

Carn an Tuirc is a mountain in the Grampian Mountains of Scotland, located about two miles from the Glenshee Ski Centre near Braemar. has a flat summit with steep slopes to the S and W, steep and craggy slopes into Glen Callater to the E but gentle slopes to the N.

Mar Lodge Estate is a highland estate in western Aberdeenshire, Scotland, which has been owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland since 1995. Its principal building, Mar Lodge, is about 4 miles west of the village of Braemar. The estate is recognised as one of the most important nature conservation landscapes in the British Isles and occupies nearly 8% of the Cairngorms National Park, covering 29,340 hectares .

Beinn a'Bhuirid is a great hulk of a mountain with a tiny summit cairn. Grass and heather slopes on its west side contrast with the huge cliffs and coires on its east side. It offers skiing and also beautiful spectacular views form the summit and also it will be a new experience for you.

The Lecht Ski Centre is an alpine ski area in the Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands. The ski slopes are set around the mountains Beinn a' Chruinnich, 2,552 ft and Meikle Corr Riabhach, 2556 ft. The Lecht is the smallest ski area in Scotland in terms of area, number of runs and vertical drop and as such is the most suitable for beginners. 15 lifts provide access to 23 groomed pistes.

Muir of Dinnet is a national nature reserve situated close to the village of Dinnet in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The reserve extends 1166 hectares from the River Dee to Culbean hill, and encompasses a wide range of habitats including dry heath, raised bog, woodland, and two lochs: Loch Kinord and Loch Davan. Muir of Dinnet is owned by Dinnet Estate and managed by NatureScot, who provide a visitor centre and a range of other facilities including waymarked paths and a car park.

Glen Doll, also sometimes spelt Glendoll, lies within the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, at the top of Glen Clova, in an area of steep hills, corries and Munros. It includes the Corrie Fee National Nature Reserve, which has many endangered plants. A popular walk heads south west through the Glendoll Forest before climbing steeply up the Kilbo Path that links Glen Doll with Glen Prosen. At the top this reaches a high pass giving easy access to two Munros, these are Driesh to the east and Ma

Loch Kinord is a small, freshwater loch at Muir of Dinnet, Aberdeenshire, Scotland just north of the River Dee and 5 mi east of Ballater. The loch is also known as Loch Ceander and Loch Cannor. It is approximately 1 mi in length and was formed from a glacial kettle hole. The loch sits within the Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve and is immediately south of Loch Davan.

Corrie Fee is a glacier-carved corrie situated at the head of Glen Clova in the Angus Glens of Scotland. It forms part of Corrie Fee National Nature Reserve, which is managed by NatureScot and lies within the Cairngorms National Park. The adjoining Corrie Sharroch and the slopes of Craig Rennet are also included in the NNR.Corrie Fee is well known for the rare plants growing on its cliffs and in gullies, like Alpine blue-sowthistle. Mountain plants, such as purple saxifrage, yellow mountain saxi