Auchindoun Castle	Dufftown	Castle Ruin
The castle, which stands within the ramparts of an Iron Age hill fort, was built for John, earl of Mar, in the 15th century but he was murdered by his own brother King James III. Auchindoun Castle then passed to Thomas Cochrane, one of the king’s favourites, who came to an unpleasant end when he was hanged from Lauder Bridge in 1482 by jealous nobles led by Archibald “Bell-the-Cat” Douglas, earl of Angus. The castle later became a stronghold of the Gordons. It was sacked and burned by the Mackintoshes in 1591 and, despite being repaired, was abandoned by the 18th century when its stone started being used for other local building projects.

Balvenie Castle	Dufftown	Castle
For over 500 years, Balvenie Castle served as the formidable stronghold of the great lords who ruled over this part of north-east Scotland. The immensely powerful ‘Black’ Comyn earls of Buchan built it in the 13th century. When they were forfeited in the early 14th century, because of their alliance with the ill-fated John Balliol, the stronghold passed to the mighty ‘Black’ Douglases. And when the Douglases too were wiped out around 1455 by James II, the victorious Stewart king entrusted it to a kinsman, John Stewart, Earl of Atholl. It remained with his descendants for the next 250 years. Today’s visitor will find important, and impressive, remains dating from all three dynastic families.

Brandsbutt Symbol Stone	Inverurie	Prehistoric Site
An early Pictish symbol stone, with an ogham inscription.

Brodie Castle	Brodie, Forres	Castle
Set in peaceful parkland, this fine 16th-century tower house is packed with enough art and antiques to keep connoisseurs happy all day. It contains fine French furniture; English, continental and Chinese porcelain; and a major collection of paintings, including 17th-century Dutch art, 19th-century English watercolours, and early 20th-century works. The magnificent library contains some 6,000 volumes.

Burghead Well	Burghead	Well
A rock-cut well, identified by some as an early Christian baptistry associated with the local cult of St Ethan.

Castle Fraser	Inverurie	Castle
Castle Fraser is an atmospheric baronial castle dating back to the 15th century and was the ancestral home of the Fraser family. It retains the atmosphere of the family home with portraits, furniture and mementoes. Highlights include the Great Hall dating back to the 1400s, an original library with family books, and a grand worked room with 18th-century embroideries.

Corgarff Castle	Corgarff, Strathdon	Castle
Corgarff Castle is not as ordinary as the visitor might imagine on first seeing it in its lonely moorland setting. The unusual appearance of the little tower is confirmed as the visitor draws near and makes out more clearly its star-shaped perimeter wall. Corgarff’s story is really two stories. The first takes us from the middle of the 16th century, when the tower was built, through to the close of the 17th century, when it was abandoned. This was the castle’s heyday, when it served as the impressive fortified home of the Forbeses of Corgarff. The second story takes us from the mid-18th century, when the tower was turned into soldiers’ barracks, through to 1831, when the army abandoned it. For those 95 years, the redcoats in the old tower patrolled Strathdon, hunting down Jacobite sympathisers. Latterly they helped the excisemen stamp out the illegal production and smuggling of whisky.

Craigievar Castle	Alford	Castle
Craigievar is an iconic tower house, amongst the best preserved and the most loved in Scotland. The large estate features woodland, parkland with magnificent specimen trees, and farmland with extensive views over the surrounding countryside to Bennachie.

Crathes Castle	Banchory	Castle
One of the most beautiful and best preserved castles in Scotland set against a magnificent garden with its world-renowned June Border. Occupied by the Burnetts of leys for over 350 years the castle, garden and estate are a must see for any visitor to the north-east of Scotland. The Horsemill book & gift shop is an exciting new addition to Crathes offering a wide selection of books for sale from Scottish interest to cookery, gardening and humour. Both the Horsemill Shop and Courtyard Catering facilities are open daily throughout the year.

Culsh Earth House	Culsh	Prehistoric Site
A well-preserved underground passage, with roofing slabs intact over the large chamber and entrance. About 2000 years old.

Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery	Forres	Distillery
The picturesque distillery of Dallas Dhu was built in 1898 to produce malt whisky for Glasgow firm Wright and Greig’s popular ‘Roderick Dhu’ blend. Visitors to the unique time capsule of Dallas Dhu can see and hear how whisky was made – there is an audio-visual presentation and free audio guide – and sample a free dram.

Deer Abbey	Old Deer	Monastery
The remains of a Cistercian monastery founded in 1219.

Deskford Church	Deskford	Church
The ruin of a small late medieval church with a richly carved sacrament house of a type characteristic of north-east Scotland.

Duffus Castle	Nr Elgin	Castle
One of the finest examples of a motte and bailey castle in Scotland with a later, very fine, stone hall house and curtain wall. The original seat of the Moray family.

Dyce Symbol Stones	Kirkton	Stones
Two Pictish stones, one with the older type of incised symbols and the other with symbols accompanied by a cross and decoration.

Easter Aquhorthies Stone Circle	Inverurie	Stone Circle
A recumbent stone circle about 4000 years old.

Elgin Cathedral	Elgin	Cathedral
Elgin Cathedral is one of Scotland’s most beautiful medieval buildings, and the inspiration for many an artist. The imposing yellow sandstone ruin is also one of the most important architectural legacies from that bygone age, whose intriguingly complex building history will reward the patient visitor. The cathedral was the ecclesiastical centre, the spiritual heart, of the diocese of Moray. The bishop’s cathedra, or seat, was not always at Elgin – it had previously been at nearby Kinneddar, Birnie and Spynie – but once it was transferred to Elgin around 1224, it remained there until the Protestant Reformation of 1560 effectively left the cathedral redundant.

Fyvie Castle	Fyvie, Turriff	Castle
Ghosts, legends and folklore are all woven into the tapestry of Fyvie Castle’s 800-year history. Tradition claims that the castle’s five successive families – Preston, Meldrum, Seton, Gordon and Forbes-Leith – each added a tower to this magnificent Scottish Baronial fortress. You can see their influences today among the medieval stones and the lavish Edwardian interiors, and imagine what castle life must have been like for the families and their royal guests – among them Robert the Bruce, Edward I and Charles I.

Glenbuchat Castle	Nr Kildrummy	Castle
Glenbuchat Castle is located on a bluff above the River Don. It was built in 1590 for John Gordon of Cairnbarrow and his wife Helen on the occasion of their wedding. This is recorded in the stone above the entrance together with the motto "nothing on earth remains bot faime", or "nothing lasts without good repute". Glenbuchat is an excellent example of a "Z" plan castle. This means it has one main rectangular block, with two smaller rectangular blocks placed at opposing corners of the main block. Glenbuchat Castle is roofless above the first floor, but it is otherwise well preserved and you can gain a good idea of the layout and the accommodation it provided.

Haddo House	Tarves, Ellon	Historic House
A visit to Haddo is sure to keep you occupied all day; there’s so much to see and do. For all its grandeur, visitors to Haddo House often remark how homely it feels. Perhaps this has something to do with it being home to the Gordon family for over 400 years.

Huntly Castle	Huntly	Castle
Huntly Castle lies in the green heart of the Aberdeenshire countryside. It is a noble ruin in a beautiful setting, remarkable both for the quality of its architecture and for its eventful history. The earls of Fife built the original stronghold, the Peel of Strathbogie, around 1190, to guard the crossing-point where the rivers Bogie and Deveron meet. But it was the mighty Gordons who made the stronghold their own from the 14th century and renamed it Huntly Castle. The surviving remains tell the story of the development of the castle in Scotland, from the motte and bailey of the 12th century, through the tower house of the later Middle Ages, to the stately stone palace of the Jacobean era.

Kinkell Church	Inverurie	Church
The ruins of a 16th-century parish church, with fine sacrament house dated 1524, and the grave slab of Gilbert de Greenlaw, killed in battle in 1411.

Kinnaird Head Lighthouse	Fraserburgh	Lighthouse
Built for the Fraser family, this fine 16th century castle was altered in 1787 to take the first lighthouse built by the Commissioners of the Northern Lighthouses. It is still in working order but has now been replaced by a small unmanned light nearby. The lighthouse remains much as it was left by the last lighthouse crew and is managed by the Kinnaird Head Trust.

Leith Hall & Garden	Huntly	House & Garden
A typical Scottish laird’s residence brimming with family treasures, Leith Hall is set in 286 acres of scenic estate containing 6 acres of wonderful garden that overlooks some of Aberdeenshire’s finest rolling countryside.

Maiden Stone	Chapel of Garioch	Stone
The Maiden Stone is a Pictish cross slab that stands about 3 meters tall and probably dates to the 9th century AD. Its front is carved with a cross that has a human figure gripped by fish monsters at its top and its back has a range of Pictish symbols, a Pictish beast and a centaur.

Mar Lodge Estate	Braemar, Ballater	Mountains
A traditional Highland estate that encompasses 4 of the 5 highest peaks in the Cairngorms (and in the UK) and provides accommodation, as well as opportunities for walking, climbing and highland sports ranging from stalking to fishing.

Memsie Cairn	Memsie	Prehistoric Site
A large stone-built cairn, possibly of Bronze Age date, but enlarged during field clearance during the last two centuries.

Murcar Links Golf Club	Bridge of Don	Golf
Classic Championship Scottish Golf Links used by the PGA European Tours. Visitor friendly.

Peel Ring Of Lumphanan	Lumphanan	Prehistoric Site
This great earthwork of 13th-century date was the site of a fortified residence, perhaps a hunting lodge of the Durward family.

Picardy Symbol Stone	Nr Insch	Stone
One of the oldest, simplest, Pictish symbol stones, possibly of 7th-century date.

Pitmedden Garden	Ellon	Gardens
It’s hard to imagine a garden today being planted on such an extravagant scale. The heart of the property is the formal walled garden originally laid out in 1675 by Sir Alexander Seton. In the 1950s, the Trust set about re-creating the gardens following designs dating from the 17th century. Today, Pitmedden features over 5 miles of box hedging arranged in intricate patterns to form six parterres. These parterres are filled with some 40,000 plants bursting with colour in the summer months.

Spynie Palace	Elgin	Historic House
The residence of the bishops of Moray from the 14th century to 1686. Dominated by the massive tower built by Bishop David Stewart (1461-77), with spectacular views over Spynie Loch. The grassed area around the Palace can be soft but is accessible to visitors using wheelchairs or with limited mobility. There are a number of external interpretation boards. The Great Hall and David's Tower are not accessible but the beauty of the surroundings and the substantial wildlife and birdsong make the Palace a wonderful place to visit.

St Machar's Cathedral Transepts	Aberdeen	Church
The nave and towers of the Cathedral remain in use as a church, and the ruined transepts are in care. In the south transept is the fine tomb of Bishop Dunbar (1514-32).

St Mary's Kirk, Auchindoir	Nr Rhynie	Church
One of the finest medieval parish churches in Scotland, roofless, but otherwise entire. There is a rich early Romanesque doorway and a beautiful early 14th-century sacrament house, comparable with those at Deskford and Kinkell.

St Peter's Kirk And Parish Cross	Duffus	Church
The roofless remains of the kirk include the base of a 14th-century western tower, a 16th-century vaulted porch and some interesting tombstones. The cross is of 14th-century date.

Suenos' Stone	Forres	Monument
The most remarkable sculptured monument in Britain, probably a cenotaph, standing over 20 feet high and dating to the end of the first millennium AD. Covered by a protective glass enclosure.

Tarves Medieval Tomb	Tarves, Ellon	Tomb
A fine altar tomb of William Forbes, the laird who enlarged Tolquhon Castle. The carving is a remarkable survival.

Tolquhon Castle	Tolquhon, Tarves	Castle
Aberdeenshire is graced by many historic castles, but Tolquhon is one of the most picturesque. It served as a noble residence for some 300 years. The oldest part is the stump of an early 15th-century tower house, probably built by one of the Prestons of Formartine, who once held the barony. However, the castle visitors can see today was built by Sir William Forbes, 7th Lord of Tolquhon. In 1584, he instigated a comprehensive rebuilding programme which, when completed six years later, gave to William and his spouse, Elizabeth, a house that was amongst the finest of its day.

Tomnaverie Stone Circle	Nr Aboyne	Stone Circle
A recumbent stone circle about 4000 years old.