Auchendean Lodge

Half Day Tours

Take a trip to Loch Ness or go to Royal Deeside.
Maybe go to see the Moray Firth via the whisky distilleries.
How about a trip to the top of Cairngorm Mountain on the funicular railway? And if you like railways why not try the Strathspey Steam Railway?
A day in Glenlivet travelling the back roads along the River Spey to it's major tributary, the A'an is very rewarding.
In half a day you could see Ballindalloch Castle; or Cawdor Castle or Fort George. There are Pictish Stones, Stone circles and the spectacular Clava Cairns.

Day Tours

It's possible to reach the north, the east or the west coasts of Scotland from Auchendean in 2.5 to 3 hours. So you could visit Aberdeen and take in Dunnottar Castle, perched on the cliffs. Dunrobin Castle in Sutherland is well worth the journey, as is the late Queen Mother's home, the Castle of Mey, on the north coast, looking at Orkney.

Take a trip around Loch Ness, taking in Urquhart Castle and Fort Augustus with Britian's longest loch ladder . On the Caledonian Canal, it's called Neptune's Staircase. You could take a trip on the loch itself via Jacobite Cruises. The south side of the loch, through South Loch Ness-side is very unspoiled and beautiful, first calling into Dores where you could lunch in the Dores Inn. Then on to the Falls of Foyers and Whitebridge. There's an amazing road called the Pass of Inverfarigaig which climbs steepy up the cliff by zig-zags from the loch. Then a back road across the moors to Auchendean. On the way back, stop at the high point of the raod to see peat digging and if you are lucky, Golden Eagles!

A tour around Crief, Killin and Aberfeldy would make a scenic day out, or you could take in Royal Deeside to see Balmoral, Crathes and Ballater with all of it's Royal crests above the shops. There is a display of Queen Victoria arriving in Ballater station.
The historical Black Isle is very beautiful, surrounded on 3 sides by sea. Another choice could be the villages and river of Donside, or the villages perched under cliffs near the sea on the Moray Coast.

Further afield, it's a long way to the Isle of Skye, but on long summer days it can be a rewarding drive through fantastic west coast scenery, although it's too far to drive around the island as well. But it's well worth taking a trip to the west coast as far north as Ullapool, taking in some of the major mountain peaks. You can pass Loch Duich, the Five Sisters of Kintail and the famous castle of Eilean Donan.

There are so many castles in the north-east of Scotland, that there is a Castle Trail. There is also a Whisky Trail around the distilleries and cooperage in the Glenlivet area. The Victorian Heritage Trail takes in an area from to Balmoral and Braemar to Drum Castle near Aberdeen.