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A great elbow of land juts into the North Sea between Perth and the Firth of Tay in the south and Inverness and Moray Firth in the north. The valley of the River Dee - the Royal Dee thanks to the Queen's residence at Balmoral - has sublime scenery.
The main bus and train routes from Edinburgh to Inverness run directly north through Perth, or around the coast to Aberdeen and then north-west and inland back to Inverness. Scottish Citylink (0870-550 5050) links the main towns by bus. There are also regular buses from Glasgow.
The train journey from Perth to Inverness (21/4 hours) is one of the most spectacular in Scotland. Otherwise, there are frequent trains from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Aberdeen (2V2 hours) and from Aberdeen to Inverness (2lA hours).
Grampian Country - Inland
The region between Braemar and Huntly and east to the coast is castle country, and includes the Queen's residence at Balmoral. The TICs have information on a Castle Trail, but you really need private transport. Balmoral Castle (013397-42334) opens Easter to early August and attracts large numbers of visitors; it can be reached by the Aberdeen to Braemar bus (see below).
Braemar is an attractive, small town surrounded by mountains. There's a helpful year-round TIC (013397-41600), and the town makes a fine walking base. On the first Saturday in September the town is invaded by 20,000 people, led by the royal family, for the Braemar Gathering (Highland Games); accommodation bookings are essential at this time. There are several B&Bs, or try Braemar Youth Hostel (01339-741659) or Braemar Bunkhouse ( 01339-741242), both of which have cheap dorm beds.
It's a beautiful drive between Perth and Braemar but unfortunately public transport is limited. From Aberdeen to Braemar there are several buses a day operated by Stagecoach Bluebird ( 01224-212266), which travel along the beautiful valley of the River Dee.
The direct inland route from Aberdeen to Inverness, serviced by bus and train, cuts across malt whisky country. Aficionados might be tempted by the Malt Whisky Trail (information from TICs), which gives you an inside look and complimentary tastings at a number of famous distilleries, including Cardhu, Glenfiddich and Glenlivet.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is an extraordinary symphony in grey. Almost everything is built of granite. In the sun, especially after a shower of rain, the stone turns silver and shines like a fairytale, but with low grey clouds and rain it can be a bit depressing. The good news is that Aberdeen has a thriving nightlife.
Orientation
The train and bus stations are next to each other off Guild St, near the ferry quay. The TIC (632727), in St Nicholas House, Broad St, opens all year.
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