15 Nov NE250: New road trip route announced in Scotland
A week ago, Visit Scotland launched North East 250, a beautiful circular route that will take visitors on a journey through Speyside, the Cairngorms, Royal Deeside, Aberdeen, the East Coast and the Moray Coast. There has been a race to complete it, with a number of enthusiasts already posting their photographs on Twitter.
What’s here? Let us tell you!
SPEYSIDE
For those of you lucky enough to have already visited this beautiful area of Scotland, you’ll know exactly what we mean when we say you MUST VISIT. You probably know the name because the area is crammed with the famous Speyside whiskey distilleries. Both Glenlivet and Glenfiddich are made here, as well as Aberlour, Strathisla and Macallan just to name a few! If you like Speyside whiskeys, which taste less peaty than their western counterparts, this route will bring you to whiskey heaven.
THE CAIRNGORMS
Voted one of the top 20 places to visit in the World, by the National Geographic Traveller Magazine, best not miss this if you’re planning on coming to Scotland. The Cairngorms National Park in the heart of the Scottish Highlands has everything from castles and distilleries to family attractions – watersports, snowsports, wildlife watching, walking and cycling. It’s the UK’s largest national park, with accommodation ranging from camping (always our first choice!) to boutique hotels.
BALMORAL CASTLE
No trip to Scotland’s East would be complete without a trip to Balmoral Castle, the Royal Family’s holiday home, purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852. From August to October as the Royal Family are in residence, but for the rest of the year, guided tours are available of the grounds, garden and cafe.
EAST COAST
The East Coast of Scotland is lined with beaches, coastal walks and plenty of castles to visit. We recommend visiting Dunnotar Castle, a historically significant ruined castle set upon a rocky headland. William Wallace famously captured this castle during the Scottish war for independence against the English in the 13th century, and it became the hiding place for the Scottish Crown Jewels during Oliver Cromwell’s civil war.
HOW TO GET THERE
There are a number of companies you can hire cars, motorhomes and campervans from in Scotland, and usually they offer airport collection.
VIA ABERDEEN OR INVERNESS
Both Aberdeen’s and Inverness’ international airports have limited direct flights, so check out your flight path and consider flying to Edinburgh. Aberdeen, the ‘Granite City’, does not offer much for tourists, so don’t worry about missing something spectacular here. Inverness is the gateway to the Highlands and has a wealth of things to do and places to see so while you’re in the Highlands, we would recommend visiting.
VIA EDINBURGH
Edinburgh’s international airport has loads of international links and direct flights from all over Europe and further afield. Edinburgh is also easy to get to from the south via the M1.
EDINBURGH
Edinburgh is a beautiful historic city, built on hilly volcanic terrain, with beaches, walking trails and the world’s largest arts festivals every August. The Edinburgh Festivals are a grand celebration of the arts, with the Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Fringe, Military Tattoo, Art Festival, Book Festival and Mela all coming together to make Edinburgh a true Festival City throughout the month.
If you are in Scotland in August, Edinburgh is an experience not to be missed.