North east of Scotland has the Royal seal of approval
The British Royal family has been visiting Aberdeenshire for over 100 years as their summer holiday destination of choice. Located within the Cairngorm National Park, the largest of its kind in the UK, the beautiful Royal Deeside area of Aberdeenshire is where the Queen is said to be her happiest. It is little surprise that in a list of 20 of the most relaxing holiday destinations in the world by travel publication Rough Guides, the Cairngorm National Park ranks as one of the best.
The Royal Deeside area is a place that the Royal family hold dear to their hearts, and in 2015 when storms damaged Ballater, a local village located just six miles from Balmoral Castle, Prince Charles wanted to support the local community and opened a new restaurant and luxury gift shop to help rejuvenate the community. The result is a restaurant, Rothesay Rooms, which in just a few years has been recognised as the North East of Scotland Restaurant of the Year and gained entry into the Michelin Guide.
Ballater, a place where you’ll find more Royal Warrants per square mile than anywhere else in the world, is also home to Ballater Station, the former train station where the Royal family would disembark at en route to Balmoral. Last year the station underwent a multi million pound refurbishment after a fire destroyed the building, and now hosts a visitor information centre, restaurant and tea room. The Carriage has been designed with replica hand crafted booth seats, and features a replica dining room, royal train carriage and Victorian toilet.
The Highland Games have long provided a spectacle for visitors in Scotland, and now thanks to the Duke of Rothesay Highland Games Pavilion, visitors can learn more about the spectacle of the sport all year round. The £2.5 million heritage centre is set in the grounds of the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park in Braemar and was partly funded by The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Foundation.
The visitor centre opens its doors for the first time this year and includes a restaurant and an exhibition of medals, trophies and memorabilia from the Highland Games and Gatherings. A must try while you’re there is the afternoon tea created by Daniel Pearse, who also designed the afternoon tea menu at London’s Savoy Hotel.
The region offers visitors a wide variety of accommodation options, featuring over 7,000 quality hotel rooms with a further 1500 coming online in the next three years. To find out more, and for support in arranging a group visit to the region, contact VisitAberdeenshire. The complimentary service can assist you in all aspects of planning, from introducing you to suppliers, to on the ground local knowledge and full itinerary planning and development including quotes for accommodation.