![]() Once a shooting lodge, this B&B and self-catering cottage is deep in whisky country – the Glenlivet Distillery is just a short stroll away across the fields.So, you decided to visit the Scottish Highlands in winter and I bet you wonder what it’s like to travel around Scotland during this season. It also offers whisky tours and tastings in the neighbouring glens. The highest hostel in the Scottish Highlands, this guesthouse on the northern fringes of the Cairngorms has a range of dorm beds and family rooms. Hilton Grand Vacations at Craigendarroch Suites/ Smugglers Hostel, Tomintoul READ MORE: 6 reasons Scotland is the ultimate cruise destination With more of an outdoors vibe than you’d expect from the Hilton chain, this hotel in the foothills of the Cairngorms organises salmon fishing, highland safaris, hiking, golf and winter sports. Hilton Grand Vacations at Craigendarroch Suites, Braemar There are plenty of opportunities to go skiing, biking, hiking and climbing. This hostel-style adventure centre and self-catering lodge has a range of good-value doubles, twins and family rooms. Gulabin Lodge Outdoor Centre, Spittal of Glenshee It’s a more pricey, luxury option so best if you feel like splashing out. It also boasts an oak-panelled hall, portrait gallery and whisky bar. This grand country house, just up the road from the tranquil Angus Glen valleys, is set within 25 acres of land. Further north, the official Malt Whisky Trail, a signposted 70-mile route north, takes in an additional eight distilleries. On the B9008 to Tomintoul, you’ll see signposts for Glenlivet, the first licensed distillery in the Highlands. Royal Lochnagar Distillery on the Abergeldie Estate, which was awarded a royal warrant in 1848, and Balmenach, which produces rowanberry-spiced Caorunn gin, are two worth a detour. Their lifeblood is the clear, fast-flowing water of the River Spey which plays a vital part in the Speyside whisky industry. ![]() On the northern tip of the Snow Roads are a number of little-known distilleries. Isolated at the heart of Strathdon, it has a star-shaped perimeter and a number of exhibits that capture life as it once was in rural Aberdeenshire. ![]() With a tumultuous history that has seen it used as a Jacobite stronghold, military barracks and illicit distillery, turreted Corgarff Castle on the road to Tomintoul is the postcard-perfect Scottish keep. ![]() For dedicated royalists, the estate’s trophy ballroom, stables and grounds are open to explore from April to July.īyunau Konstantin/Shutterstock Corgarff Castle The royal connection comes from nearby Balmoral Castle, once a 16th-century tower house, now a sprawling summer residence for the Queen. Balmoral CastleĪs Windsor is to England, so this town is to the Highlands. If you plan to attend, buy tickets in advance as the event always sells out. The festival has been attended by Her Majesty the Queen and a succession of royals since first being enjoyed by Queen Victoria in 1848. It’s also a rather sophisticated, if slightly pompous affair. Events include caber tossing, tug-o-war and highland dancing. Every September, its local Highland Games take place: the world-famous Braemar Gathering. ![]() This delightful town is all grand mansions, pine forests and twee souvenir shops. READ MORE: 10 life-affirming experiences you can only enjoy in Scotland Braemar On summer days, it’s hiker territory for those out to climb some of Scotland’s 3,000-foot hills.Ībout 35 miles along the route, you’ll reach the Snow Roads' other ski centre, The Lecht. The resort is one of Scotland’s five ski centres, drawing in winter sports enthusiasts from Dundee and Aberdeen at weekends. As the A93 threads its way up and over the Cairnwell Pass – the highest main road in the UK – the road meets Glenshee Ski Centre at the summit. ![]()
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