Galleries

Stunning pictures from throughout Aberdeenshire and the North East of Scotland.

The North East is steeped in history and character, and has some of Scotland's very best scenery. Discover some of the best that Aberdeenshire has to offer in our ever-growing galleries, from ancient hill forts and castles, to rugged mountains and colourful wildlife - Aberdeenshire has it all.


Cairn Gorm		Cairn Gorm (or Gaelic: An Càrn Gorm, meaning Blue Hill) is a prominent mountain in the Scottish Highlands overlooking Strathspey and the town of Aviemore. Rising to 1245 metres (4084 ft) it is the sixth highest mountain in the United Kingdom. It has given its name to the whole Cairngorm mountain range, although these hills are properly known as Am Monadh Ruadh (the Red Hills). Cairn Gorm is the most prominent of the Cairngorm mountains in the view from Speyside. The north-western slopes of Cairn Gorm form a popular ski destination which has a funicular railway. The next corrie south of Coire Cas, Coire an t-Sneachda, is separated from the skiing area by a ridge known as Fiacaill a' Choire Chais. The southern side of Cairn Gorm overlooks the remote loch known as Loch Avon (pronounced Loch A'an).
Haddo House		Haddo House, near Tarves, was designed by William Adam in 1732 for the Gordon family, who have owned the site for over 500 years. With striking Georgian Palladian architecture, Haddo House is set in acres of fantastic grounds, with forest walks, terraced gardens and lakesides to explore. A magnificent avenue of lime trees leads to adjacent Haddo Country Park with its lakes, monuments, walks and wildlife. The house has a small chapel attached, and in the grounds is a theatre, Haddo House Hall, and rehearsal rooms, known as the Peatyards. Haddo House's most notable former resident was George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, the British Prime Minister from 1852–1855.
Castle Fraser		Originally known as Muchall-in-Mar, Castle Fraser is one of the grandest 'Castles of Mar', built by the Earl of Mar, along with Fyvie Castle. Located near Inverurie, Castle Fraser was completed in 1636, and is a five storey Z plan castle, sited on an earlier square tower structure. Reminiscent of a French Château, Castle Fraser is considered the most elaborate Z-plan castle in Scotland. Castle Fraser contains a wealth of historic furnishings, paintings and fine embroidery. Now owned by the National Trust for Scotland, Castle Fraser and its extensive woodlands, walled garden and landscaped grounds are open to the public during the summer months.
Ellon		Nestled on the banks of the river Ythan, Ellon is a thriving Market town in the heart of Aberdeenshire. Ellon was originally fording place across the Ythan river, but grew to became the Buchan seat of power in the Middle Ages when Ellon Castle (called Ardgith) was built by the Kennedy family. Robert the Bruce totally destroyed Ellon in 1308 as part of the "Harrying of Buchan" following the defeat of his enemy, the Earl of Buchan.
Portsoy		Portsoy lies on the northern coast of Aberdeenshire, between Cullen and Banff. The nearby Boyne Castle dates from the late 1300's and burgh of Portsoy was established by royal charter signed by Mary Queen of Scots in 1550. Boyne Castle was replaced by the Palace of Byne, built in 1570, which now stands as a ruin a few miles east of Portsoy. The harbour at Portsoy was built in the sixteenth century, and re-built in 1692 by Sir Patrick Ogilvie, the 8th Laird of Boyne who replaced the existing harbour with another built entirely of stone, arranged vertically to prevent them from being washed away. Portsoy grew as a fishing village, and the new harbour was built in 1825 to cater for the surge in fishing in the Herring boom of the time. Now a popular tourist destination, Portsoy is famed for its fantastic charm and character and stunning scenery. A local speciality is quarried green Portsoy marble or serpentine, which is still worked locally today.
Fordyce		The North East village of Fordyce in Aberdeenshire is 2½ miles (4 km) southwest of Portsoy. Fordyce dates from at least 1272, and is steeped with outstanding architectural history, including a stunning castle and ancient Joiners workshop. Fordyce is a designated conservation village, making it very popular with tourists and visitors to the North East.
Carn an t-Sagairt Mor		Taking its name from Gaelic, meaning "big hill of the priest", Carn an t-Sagairt Mor near Ballater rises to 1047m (3435 feet) southwest of Lochnagar and southeast of Braemar. Carn an t-Sagairt Mor is classified as a Munro, a Scottish mountain with a height over 3,000 feet (914.4 metres). They are named after Sir Hugh Munro (1856–1919), who produced the first compilation of a catalogue of such hills, known as Munro's Tables, in 1891. Carn an t-Sagairt Mor is located in the area Glen Shee to Mount Keen. To the south east of the Carn an t-Sagairt Mor summit lies a broad moorland plateau leading to Cairn Bannoch.