Crystal Cave

Ellon is a delightful riverside town in Buchan, read our full review here Within its busy shopping centre, there hides a gateway to another world, a planet of peace, a cosmos of magical crystal. Jules Healing Gems is more than just a crystal shop. It is a sunrise in stone, it is rainbows in rock, […]

Ballater

Ballater is a picturesque village in Aberdeenshire, on the edge of the Cairngorm Mountains and at the heart of Royal Deeside. Nearby is the Royal Family’s residence, Balmoral Castle. Queen Victoria famously wrote of the Deeside area: “All seemed to breathe freedom and peace”. Ballater is a ballad in brick. Walk down a street of […]

Books n beans

Aberdeen’s Belmont Street is home to one of the best independent bookshop / cafes in the city – the aptly named Books n Beans. A haven for booklovers, a heaven for coffee fans. Browse an impressive array of second hand books in all genres: there really is something for everyone, from crime to classics, history […]

Fyvie fairytale

A visit to the impressive and intriguing Fyvie Castle (castle open during spring and summer; grounds open all year) is not complete without a walk round its tranquil lake, a stunning scene of natural beauty. In winter, the lake is fierce but serene, with frozen ice punctuating its smooth waters like a living image stuck […]

Aden Country Park

Aden Country Park, near Mintlaw in central Buchan, offers a variety of charming riverside or woodland walks. Mature trees tower above like nature’s guardians. Paths wind through the trees, over bridges and by a chorus of blushing bluebells. The River Ugie glides through the park like a sparkling jewel, singing its lullaby of peace. The […]

New Aberdour Beach

Rocky hills point to the horizon, like the hands of a giant. The sea whispers as it strokes the shore, the song of a sea serpent. At New Aberdour Beach nature defies civilisation. You could believe you were anywhere, anytime, were it not for the cars in the parking area. Look towards the sea, and […]

Balmedie Beach

Sand dunes rule the land, conquerors of the senses, victors of vision. Walk among the dunes like a dancer in a daydream, a ballet of beauty in your heart. Imagine yourself in a war of realities, Balmedie Beach the winning dimension, a world removed from the usual earthly constraints of time and space, a world […]