Information About Braemar
Braemar is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Set just off the River Dee it nestles amid the beautiful Cairngorm mountains. It’s a perfect location to explore Royal Deeside and the Cairngorm mountains. Braemar has maintained the Royal connection dating back to Queen Victoria and the Royal family are still regular visitors to the area.
The village is surrounded by beautiful mountains on all sides including Carn na Drochaide (818 m), and Creag Choinnich 'The Baldy Hill' (538 m) – a great hill to climb offering views of the impressive Invercauld House and Braemar village itself. The largest local hill is Morrone (859 m) which again offers great views of the village and the surrounding mountains. The path leading up to the summit passes right by Morrone Cottage and therefore makes for an excellent walk straight from the house.
Morrone Cottage is ideally situated on the very edge of the village. This allows easy access to the shops whilst giving privacy and seclusion. Directly opposite the house is the old Victorian duckpond, which in turn leads to the Morrone Birkwood Nature Reserve. There are endless local short walks to be had – on warm summer days, these often end up down at the Dee where there are great swimming holes suitable for a short dip!
How to get there
From Aberdeen Braemar is about 60 miles west of Aberdeen. It is within an hour and half drive from Aberdeen, Perth and Dundee and is most easily reached by car. There is a regular bus service between Braemar and Aberdeen – around two and half hours.
From Edinburgh / Glasgow Braemar is approached from the South on the A93 which takes you up and over the Cairnwell Pass (altitude of 690m) where Glenshee Ski Centre – Scotland’s oldest and largest ski centre - is located. The Cairnwell Pass can become blocked with snow anytime from November to April and it is advisable to check the weather forecast before setting off on your journey in the winter time.
From Inverness From the North, Braemar is approached over another high mountain pass and another ski centre – the Lecht. The journey from Inverness takes around two and a half hours, and is also often affected by winter weather.
Local Amenities
Braemar has good variety of restaurants, pubs and cafés and as it is a popular tourist destination they are usually buzzing with life! For evening meals there is the Moorfield House Hotel which is a small, family run hotel just off Chapel Brae. They serve delicious home-cooked meals and it’s the perfect place for enjoying draught real ale at the end of a long day in the hills. Other watering holes include the Fife Arms, the Braemar Lodge Hotel and the Golf Club. We would particularly recommend ‘Taste’ coffee shop and restaurant which serves delicious homemade cakes, soups and snacks.
The village also has a chemist/newsagent, two grocery stores, a butcher, several gift shops and clothing stores. There is also a Tourist Information Centre and Highland Heritage Centre which offer information about the local area. For anything that can’t be found in Braemar the nearby town of Ballater has a larger selection of shops. Ballater Flowers (greengrocer and florist) sells an excellent range of fresh produce.