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Village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Photo: Alan Findlay, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Braemar is a village in Aberdeenshire, standing at the point where the road leaves the Dee valley to climb over Cairnwell into Glenshee. It’s in the eastern part of Cairngorms National Park and surrounded by mountains, which may be scenic or louring depending on the weather. In 2011 the population was 808.
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Built in 1628 as a hunting lodge but ruined after the Jacobite uprisings, then re-built, and embellished to entertain the next door neighbour Queen Victoria. It’s a five storey L-shaped tower within a star-shaped curtain wall.
Small ski area best suited to wobbly beginners and cautious intermediates. The chairlifts also run in summer for hikers and mountain bikers.
Friendly (and dog-friendly) hostel in former shooting lodge open Feb-Sep, reception 8-10AM and 5-9PM.
This has dorms in the Cottage and the Cabin, £13 ppn, plus two private rooms, and an Alpine hut if you’re hardcore.
They’re open year-round and take tents, touring and camper caravans, and have glamping pods.
Tranquil B&B above Games field west side of village. It's B&B only as they no longer have an on-site restaurant or bar, this has moved to Cairn Grill.
If only the Victorians had had pizazzy designers they’d have made places like this. Reopened in 2019, Fife Arms is now an upscale stylish place with an excellent restaurant. Most rooms are dog-friendly.
This has been bought by the Fife Arms and closed for refurbishment. It might re-open in spring 2022.
A93 runs north from Perth via Blairgowrie, and east from Aberdeen via Ballater.
Read in the guideYou need your own car to reach the ski slopes or the upper Dee valley, which are the two main reasons to come here. There’s no car hire here, and the nearest taxi service is 17 miles away, Ballater Taxis +44 13397 55548.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Aberdeen · International · ABZ
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