One of the monarch’s favorite summertime retreats is Balmoral, where the Royal Family and their guests continue enjoy field sports, angling and the great outdoors.
The nearby towns of Ballater and Braemar are also full of quaint little shops stamped with 'By Royal Appointment' and coat of arms.
Each year Braemar invites people from all over the world 'to come over the hills' to attend the Braemar Gathering and Highland Games. The Gathering is always held on the first Saturday in September and it is perhaps the most famous and respected Highland Games anywhere. It features the finest Pipe Bands, Highland dancers and athletes in a beautiful setting surrounded by hills. The patron of the Gathering is Her Majesty the Queen and members of the Royal Family regularly attend the games.
The region also boasts more than 350 castles. Whether you prefer the Disney kind or the gothic kind there is a castle for you here. Walt Disney is said to have based the famous turrets of the Fantasyland Castle on Craigievar by Alford. Most of the castles have spectacular gardens, too. It makes for a fascinating castle trail.
In his 1880 poem, The Scotsman’s Return from Abroad, Robert Louis Stevenson declared whisky "the king o’ drinks" and connoisseurs of fine spirits agree. There is no better place to experience the world’s finest whiskies - and the stories behind them - than Scotland.
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