Set in the spectacular scenery of Royal Deeside, the picturesque village of Braemar lies beside the River Dee at the foot of the wooded South side of the Grampian Highlands, close to Balmoral Castle, the Highland retreat of the Royal Family. It is home to the world famous Braemar Gathering and Highland Games regularly attended by the Royal Family. Little wonder that Braemar won the coveted Best Village for Tourism in Scotland in 1992 and again in 1996. The parish of Braemar and Crathie has been a playground of kings, nobles and the great ones of the land since the dawn of Scottish history. In the heart of the village lie the ruins of the great castle of Kindrochaide ('the head of the bridge'). Nearly a thousand years ago it commanded all the glens leading in and out of the area - Glenshee to the South, Aberdeen to the East, Lairig Ghru and Lairig an Laoigh to the North and Glen Tilt and Glen Feshie to the West. It was around this strategic bridgehead that the little village grew.
Over a hundred years ago Queen Victoria chose Deeside as her holiday centre and successive generations of the Royal Family have followed her example. So too have generations of holiday makers, discovering for themselves the health-giving air, the majestic scenery of mountain and river, and the many and varied sporting activities for today's' visitors. The nearby River Dee flowing past Balmoral Castle on its way to Aberdeen offers the finest salmon fishing. To the south just 8 miles away is Glenshee the home of the country's largest ski centre. Braemar is most frequently reached from Aberdeen and Deeside in the East, or from Perth in the South. It stands at 1100 feet (330 m) above sea level at a point where the excellent Aberdeen to Perth (A93) road turns South to wend its way through the Cairnwell Pass to Glenshee and Blairgowrie. A regular bus service from Aberdeen does the journey to Braemar in just over two hours, and the increasingly Highland character of the scenery as one travels westwards gives vistas of breathtaking beauty. There is a summer service to Blairgowrie and Pitlochry. The nearest railway terminals are at Aberdeen and Perth and the nearest port and airport are at Aberdeen.
The origins of the Highland Games and Gatherings, now a focal point for communities and tourists alike, have evolved from trials, in which clansmen were tested for skill and strength, intended as a preparation for battle. Braemar Castle was built in 1628 on the foundations of an earlier ancient building, by the Earl of Mar. Its turbulent past recalls various attacks. In 1689 it was attacked and burned by the Farquharsons and garrisoned by Hanovarian troops after the 1715 and 1745 Jacobite Rebellions. Its present architecture incorporates defensive works carried out after the 45'. Within the village, the ancient fragments of Kindrochit Castle were once a formidable 14th century stronghold that commanded the surrounding area - Robert II used it as a hunting lodge. By around 1600, Braemar Castle was taking shape and Kindrochit Castle fell into ruin. King Malcom Canmore is thought to have stayed here in an even earlier castle in the 11th century (it was rebuilt around 1390) as he summoned the local clans to the Brae of Mar for contests, in which he would select the bravest and most ferocious for his armies.
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