Day 4 Aberdeenshire, Scotland

2ND SEPTEMBER 2018 INVERURIE TO PERTH, SCOTLAND via THE CAIRNGORMS and a few castles...

Castle Fraser, Craigievar Castle and Braemar Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

We are headed south to Perth via Castle Fraser, Craigievar Castle, waved to the Queen at Balmoral and then toured Braemar Castle.

CASTLE FRASER

From Wiki: "Originally known as Muchall-in-Mar, construction of the elaborate, five-storey Z-plan castle was begun in 1575 by the 6th Laird of Fraser, Michael Fraser, on the basis of an earlier tower, and was completed in 1636. The castle was modernised in a classical style in the late 18th century, with a new entrance inserted in the south side and sash windows throughout. This work was supervised by Elyza Fraser, the lady laird, assisted by Mary Bristow. Elyza was also responsible for the landscaping of the grounds, sweeping away the remains of the original formal gardens and orchards, and for the construction of the impressive octagonal stable block."

We were too early for the tour so we went for a walk along Miss Bristow's Trail. Elyza Fraser and Mary Bristow were close friends and the highly cultured ladies traveled through Europe together. They spent over 500,000 pounds on landscaping in three years. Along the trail Elyza built a monument in the memory of her companion Mary. 

Castle Fraser, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Mary Bristow's Trail, Castle Fraser, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Inside Castle Fraser, Aberdeenshire, Scotland 

Views from the top of Castle Fraser, Aberdeenshire, Scotland 

CRAIGIEVAR CASTLE

Craigievar Castle is a pink harled castle and was completed in 1626. We prefer a castle with a stone exterior,  harling is used to protect the stonework. From Wiki: "harling describes an exterior building-surfacing technique which results in a long-lasting weatherproof shield for a stone building. A pigment can be embedded in the harled material, thus eliminating the need for repainting. Harling as a technique provides the surface of many Scottish castles, but it is also used for a variety of common everyday building types. Long-lasting and practical, it well suits structures in the Scottish climate."

Criagievar Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Views from the top of Criagievar Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

BRAEMAR CASTLE

Then we travelled west to Braemar Castle which was constructed in 1682 and was an important garrison after the Jacobite rising in 1745. The main entrance still has the original iron yett or gate.

Braemar Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Inside Braemar Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

We then travelled south through the Cairngorms National Park...

The Cairngorms, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

We stopped in Perth at the same bed and breakfast we stayed in in 2013.

Perth, Scotland