By Royal Appointment

Cruden Bay is a true links course. This is a spectacular track and a very challenging one too. For one thing, across much of the course are tall dunes that shape the holes and dictate much of the play. Tom Simpson modified the original 1899 Old Tom Morris layout in 1926. Simpson cunningly took a very good, traditional links course and developed it into a true test for the thinking golfer. Blind shots, a burn that winds throughout, vast sand dunes, the beach and a clever figure of eight configuration that has the wind coming in from the North Sea in ever-changing directions only adds to the challenge. With the soaring dunes, the views of the beach, and Slains Castle perched high above, there's nothing quite like Cruden Bay. The Castle, by the way, was the inspiration for Bram Stoker when he wrote Dracula.

Aberdeen, the country's third largest city, is the perfect location for sampling some of Scotland’s finest culture and locally produced food, with the two bordering rivers of Don and Dee creating a beautiful backdrop to city life. It is a lively, cosmopolitan city fuelled by the oil industry and two universities. It is constantly buzzing with enough bistros, cafés, bars and nightspots to serve the thriving population.

The city is also the gateway to Scotland’s largest National Park, a UNESCO Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The area is the perfect destination for a relaxing holiday, with unique wildlife, such as red deer stags and golden eagles adding to the air of tranquility. It is an excellent location for outdoor activities such as walking, biking and wildlife watching.

It is not that unusual for inspiring monarchs to leave their mark on the land where they once ruled. Scottish place names with royal connections abound, and from the Picts, Scots and Vikings right through to modern times different rulers have brought their regal names to the areas of land where they once held sway. This is particularly true of this area. It is now simply known as Royal Deeside and it is still frequented regularly by the present queen and royal family. Queen Victoria fell in love with the area in 1852 - she called it her "dear Highland paradise" - and you only need to spend a short time in the valley to understand why.