Royal Deeside is an enchanting region in the northeast of Scotland known for its spectacular Highlands scenery, picturesque villages, historic castles, whisky distilleries and longstanding associations with the British royal family. It is also home to the Fife Arms in Braemar, one of our favorite luxury hotels in Scotland.

First made famous by Queen Victoria who began the royal family’s tradition of spending summer holidays in the area, Royal Deeside is one of our favorite destinations in the Scottish Highlands.

The historic village of Braemar, situated within the wild and remote Cairngorms National Park, is an ideal base for privately touring Royal Deeside. Braemar is synonymous with the Braemar Gathering, the most renowned Highland Games attended by the British royal family regularly since Queen Victoria’s attendance in 1848. Although the games in their current form date to the 19th century, the tradition of gatherings in and around Braemar is ancient, thought to date to the 11th century.

Another highlight of the region is staying at The Fife Arms, a spectacular luxury hotel in Braemar. Originally a Victorian-era coaching inn, The Fife Arms reopened in 2018 under the direction of acclaimed Swiss gallerists Iwan and Manuela Wirth of Hauser & Wirth, who transformed it into a luxurious hotel with incredible style, an outstanding art collection and excellent dining options.

Whimsical details and beautiful interior design draw inspiration from Scottish history and culture.

Interiors showcase modern and contemporary artworks combined with antique furnishings, local artifacts and custom tweed and tartan designed by renowned textile designer Araminta Campbell.

We can arrange for our travelers to tour the hotel’s eclectic art collection, which includes works by Picasso, Lucian Freud, Man Ray, Louise Bourgeois and watercolors by Queen Victoria and King Charles III.

There are also site-specific works such as the vast mural on the drawing room ceiling by Zhang Enli and the neon, blown-glass chandelier in the stairwell by Richard Jackson.

Food and beverage options include a classic pub, a fine dining restaurant and a stylish Art Deco-inspired bar. 

Around Braemar, our local guides take travelers to visit Braemar Highland Games Centre to learn more about the history of the Gathering, stroll past the stone cottage where Robert Louis Stevenson started writing Treasure Island during a family holiday in 1881 and privately tour the atmospheric 17th-century Braemar Castle.

We also arrange guided hikes and walks in the spectacular landscapes (the iconic Highland cows are always a highlight).

Other outdoor activities include off-roading, e-biking, golf, fishing and picnics amid the stunning scenery of the Cairngorms.

One of the highlights of privately touring Royal Deeside is visiting Balmoral Castle, the summer residence of the British royal family. Commissioned by Prince Albert as a gift for Queen Victoria, Balmoral was completed in the Scottish baronial style in 1865. More recently, the romantic turreted country house was particularly loved by Queen Elizabeth II, who spent time here every summer. 

We take our travelers to privately tour the gardens and ballroom during annual public openings. We can also arrange guided hikes around the scenic landscapes of the Balmoral estate.

Near Balmoral is Craithie Kirk, the church the royal family has been attending when in residence at Balmoral since the 19th century.

We recommend warming up with a dram of single malt at the historic Royal Lochnagar distillery near the Balmoral estate.

For travelers interested in learning more about whisky, we can arrange a factory and warehouse tour and tasting at Royal Lochnagar as well as more in-depth whisky touring with excursions to other renowned distilleries in the nearby Speyside region such as the Glenlivet Distillery, Glenfiddich and Macallan.

Additional options around Aberdeenshire and the Cairngorms include touring historic castles, exploring picturesque villages, seeing Neolithic stone circles, browsing specialty shops, visiting the open-air Highland Folk Museum or stopping at a local farm to watch sheepdogs at work.

We always enjoy stopping in the Victorian-era village of Ballater to browse the galleries and local shops. The 19th-century train station once used by Queen Victoria to travel to the region has been restored and has an excellent restaurant that makes a great lunch stop.

Royal Deeside is a year-round destination that offers visitors crisp autumn weather with orange and gold landscapes, winters with snowy mountains that provide skiing and snowboarding and summers with long hours of daylight and hills carpeted in heather.

We recommend combining time in Royal Deeside with Edinburgh, St. Andrews and the western Highlands, including Glencoe, Fort William and the Isle of Skye.

Contact Artisans of Leisure to begin planning a private Scotland tour featuring the cultural and scenic highlights of Royal Deeside.