Aberdeenshire - 91 Attractions You Must Visit

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 of Aboyne is a shallow, artificial formed, freshwater loch in Grampian, Scotland. It lies 1+1⁄4 miles northeast of Aboyne and 26 miles west-southwest of Aberdeen. An earthen dam was constructed around 1834 to retain the loch. It also served as a reservoir for a nearby mill. It has one of the finest submerged floras in the area with 8 species of pondweeds. There is a high diversity of leeches and pond snails and modest numbers of passage and wintering wildfowl including wigeon, goosander and

This large freshwater loch is located near Dunecht and Kirkton of Skene in Aberdeenshire. It's a very picturesque area with the loch surrounded by attractive woodland and reedbeds. It's great for wildlife too with concentrations of wildfowl in autumn and winter in particular greylag geese, goldeneye ducks and pink-footed geese. Common gulls and otters are also found on the loch.

The Loch of Strathbeg is a designated Special Protection Area for wildlife conservation purposes. It is located near to Rattray and Crimond in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The loch is maintained by the RSPB and around the loch there are three hides from which visitors may watch the birds and other wildlife. Access to the loch is through Crimond airfield where there is a car park at the edge of the reserve.

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.

Macduff Marine Aquarium features marine life from the Moray Firth, Scotland’s largest bay, in a variety of exciting and innovative exhibits. Visitors come face to face with hundreds of native fish and invertebrates normally only seen by SCUBA divers who brave the chilly waters of the North Sea. It aims to promote awareness, enjoyment and stewardship of the Moray Firth marine environment in an entertaining and educational way.

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 .

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

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.

The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses is based in Fraserburgh on the North East corner of Aberdeenshire. Situated by Kinnaird Head lighthouse, the first lighthouse on mainland Scotland, Kinnaird Head Castle contains both the lighthouse and purpose-built museum alongside. This museum tells the great story of the Northern Lighthouse Board, the engineers who built the lights and the keepers who tended them. It is a story of skill, courage, technical genius and brilliant organisation.

Newburgh Beach, is one of the best places in the United Kingdom for spotting marine wildlife. Along the sandy estuary of the River Ythan, there is a large colony of around 400 seals, which make the shoreline their home, and can safely be observed from the opposite bank. Children will love watching the seals, which can be both cute and comical, going about their daily business here.

Old Slains Castle is a ruined castle near Collieston in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The 13th-century castle was originally the property of the Comyn, Earl of Buchan. After the forfeiture of the Comyns in the 14th century it was given to Sir Gilbert Hay by Robert the Bruce in recognition for his support against the English.

HMP Peterhead was a prison in Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, operating from 1888-2013. Since June 2016, the former grounds operate as the Peterhead Prison Museum. It was designed to hold 208 prisoners and to be Scotland's only convict prison . Occupancy averaged at around 350 however, until peaking at 455 in 1911. Additional buildings were completed in 1909, 1960 and 1962, bringing capacity up to 362. According to the Scottish Prison Service, the prison could, in 2012, accommodate up to

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.

Fowlsheugh is a coastal nature reserve in Kincardineshire, northeast Scotland, known for its 70-metre-high (230 ft) cliff formations and habitat supporting prolific seabird nesting colonies. Designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest by Scottish Natural Heritage, the property is owned by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Fowlsheugh can be accessed by a public clifftop trail, or by boats which usually emanate from the nearby harbour at the town of Stonehaven.

Scolty Hill is a small hill south of the Deeside town, Banchory. Its best known feature is the 20m tall tower monument, built in 1840 as a memorial to General William Burnett who fought alongside Wellington. The tower was restored in 1992 and a viewing platform added by the Rotary Club of Banchory-Ternan. It enjoys splendid views over Banchory, the Dee Valley and the Grampian Mountains, which surround the hill. This encourages thousands of visitors each year. It is popular for tourists, locals a

Sgor an Lochain Uaine, also known as "The Angel's Peak", is a striking summit, particularly when viewed from the Cairngorm-Macdui plateau. The Northeast ridge offers the climber an easy, but spectacular way directly to the summit. However, the Northeast face offers the skier a memorable experience descending towards Lochan Uaine. The Northwest face has been skied as well, but the line is unclear at this point.

Slains Castle is a large imposing ruin fronting directly onto south facing cliffs about a kilometer east of Cruden Bay. The ruin you see today is the inevitable result of the castle’s location and various misfortunes becoming the owners over time. The owners, the Earls of Errol, were an influential family in the Cruden Bay area for many years and prospered after William Hay married the daughter of King William IV. Overtime the Hays fell upon hard times and in 1919 the castle and contents were s

A superb beach, which runs south from the cliffs and extraordinary rock formations below the village of St Cyrus, to the mouth of the North Esk River. It can be reached by a zigzag path down the cliff at St Cyrus, or, and this is the easiest option, from the visitor centre signposted off the A92. Admire magnificent cliffs and sand dunes as you stroll along this beautiful expanse of sand, which is accessible either from the cliff path or from the St Cyrus NNR Visitor Centre.

St Cyrus National Nature Reserve is situated between the village of St Cyrus and the North Sea in the far south of the council area of Aberdeenshire in Scotland. The reserve comprises a narrow strip of land that is 3.5 km long and less than 500 m across at its widest point: the total area is 92 hectares , most of which is only a few metres above sea level and bounded by cliffs to the west. It forms the northern third of Montrose Bay, with the River North Esk marking its southern boundary.