King of the Castles

Aberdeenshire is once again proving it is king of the castles with the revamped Scotland’s Castle Trail brochure, which also now highlights nearby attractions to visitors.

This region is known as ‘Scotland’s Castle Country’ and with an impressive tally of 300 castles, stately mansions and ruins scattered across the landscape, there are more castles per acre than anywhere else in the UK.

The brochure, which has been given a complete redesign, is a joint project between VisitScotland, Historic Scotland, National Trust for Scotland and Aberdeenshire Council.

It now features 18 castles in Aberdeenshire, from Balmoral to Braemar and Corgarff to Craigievar. Leith Hall has also been included this year for the first time. There are maps on both sides of the new brochure and large entries and details for each castle. A ‘nearby attractions’ section has been added to each entry, to encourage people to further explore the region while following the trail and increase the length of their stay and spend in Aberdeenshire.

Aberdeenshire’s castles provide a wealth of history to explore - from gruesome tales of battles fought, to strolls through romantic family estates. Coming in all shapes and sizes, each castle holds a different story to tell, from striking clifftop ruins to grand fortresses and royal residences in the countryside.

One of the properties on the trail, Drum Castle, is currently hosting a selection of Aberdeen Art Gallery’s modern art collection on the upper floor, which is being opened to the public for the first time. This significant collection includes iconic painting and sculpture, including Ken Currie’s Gallowgate Lard.

A total of 70,000 brochures have been printed, 30,000 of which are being distributed at airports and via accommodation providers and attractions in Aberdeenshire, Dundee, Fife, Perthshire, the Highlands and the Central Belt. Brochures will also be available in VisitScotland Information Centres, National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland properties and local racking spots throughout Aberdeenshire.

Philip Smith, VisitScotland Regional Director, said:

“The Castle Trail is incredibly popular with our visitors, both domestic and international, and I am delighted this inspirational brochure has been refreshed for the new season. It provides essential information for anyone visiting these fantastic properties right across Aberdeenshire.

“In 2015, Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink, it is also great to see some local ‘foodie’ attractions highlighted in the brochure, such as Royal Lochnagar Distillery, near Balmoral Castle; and Touched by Scotland Gallery and Restaurant, near Leith Hall.”

Belinda Miller, Aberdeenshire Council's Head of Economic Development, said:

"Aberdeenshire has such a wealth of beautiful castles to visit and many have gardens and other family friendly facilities, making for a great day out.

"We're happy to support the updated Castle Trail brochure and we hope many visitors to the area will enjoy discovering the secrets behind the castles walls."

Laura Cheyne, The National Trust for Scotland’s Head of Marketing said:

“Working in partnership with VisitScotland, Historic Scotland and Aberdeenshire Council gives the National Trust for Scotland the opportunity to showcase its fantastic array of castles alongside other attractions in the area.  Following the Castle Trail promises to be an exciting adventure for visitors; from discovering the spooky tales of Fyvie Castle to the fairytale pink Craigievar Castle and the contemporary art at Drum Castle; we look forward to welcoming them all to our properties this summer.”

Stephen Duncan, Historic Scotland’s Director of Commercial and Tourism, said:

“This new-look Castle Trail brochure, which features a number of our well-known historical visitor attractions, including Georgian mansion, Duff House, Huntly Castle and Corgarff Castle, will allow visitors to discover and explore Aberdeenshire’s rich heritage for themselves.”

The Castle Trail online webpage also features new imagery, refreshed copy and links to download the new brochure and also to the Coastal and Victorian Heritage Trail pages.

Visitors can experience the romance and history of these restored family castles, ruins and stately homes, by simply following the route. With its distinctive white on brown signs and a castle logo, which leads visitors through the heart of Aberdeenshire, it couldn't be a simpler day out.

Scotland’s Castle Trail includes Dunnottar, Crathes, Drum, Castle Fraser, Tolquhon, Haddo House, Fyvie, Delgatie, Duff House, Huntly, Spynie Palace, Balvenie, Leith Hall, Garden & Estate, Kildrummy, Corgarff, Braemar, Balmoral and Craigievar.

For further information on Scotland’s Castle Trail, including a suggested four-day itinerary and downloadable map, visit www.visitscotland.com/castletrail