39-661: Invercauld Castle ( / ˌ ɪ n v ər ˈ k ɔː l d / ) is a country house situated in Royal Deeside near Braemar in Scotland . It is protected as a category A listed building , and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland . The Farquharson family settled in the area in the 14th century, and constructed a tower house in the 16th century. A vaulted basement within
78-551: A Roman Catholic Mass house was built on the high-ground to the west of Auchendryne, giving the name to Chapel Brae, which was used as a school. Until the 20th century, Braemar was largely owned by one of the adjoining Mar Estates , with Auchendryne and Invercauld on one side, Castleton on the other. Allegedly, inter-estate rivalry was a factor in each having its own pub , the Fife Arms Hotel in Auchendryne, and
117-588: A catch and release practise and all salmon which are caught must be released back to the river. The A93 road runs west along the north bank of the river from Aberdeen to Braemar before it turns south, leaving Deeside, to climb to the Glenshee Ski Centre at Cairnwell Pass and then onwards to Perth . Just west of Ballater the A939 Lecht Road leaves the A93 to take a tortuous climb towards
156-507: A subpolar oceanic climate . Braemar is the third-coldest low-lying place in the UK after the villages of Dalwhinnie and Leadhills with an annual mean temperature of 6.8 °C (44.2 °F). Braemar has twice entered the UK weather records with a low temperature of −27.2 °C (−17.0 °F), recorded on 11 February 1895 and again on 10 January 1982. This record is shared with Altnaharra in
195-715: A scenic area. The Deeside and Lochnagar National Scenic Area covers 40,000 ha , extending from the Geldie down to Ballater . The entire length of the Dee is defined as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) due to its importance to salmon , otters and freshwater pearl mussels . Other SACs within the Deeside area include Glen Tanar , the Muir of Dinnet , Ballochbuie, and the Morrone Birkwood . The southern side of Deeside
234-643: Is a river in Aberdeenshire , Scotland . It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through southern Aberdeenshire to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen . The area it passes through is known as Deeside , or Royal Deeside in the region between Braemar and Banchory because Queen Victoria came for a visit there in 1848 and greatly enjoyed herself. She and her husband, Prince Albert, built Balmoral Castle there which replaced an older castle. Deeside
273-547: Is a popular salmon river and has a succession of varied pools which are intersected by sharp rapids . In 1995 it was estimated that salmon fishing on the river contributed between £5 and £6 million a year to the Grampian Region economy. In 2020 it was estimated that salmon fishing contributed £15 million a year to the local economy and the River Dee reporting 10% of Scottish salmon catches. The River Dee operates
312-539: Is a popular area for tourists, due to the combination of its scenery and historic royal associations. It is part of the Cairngorms National Park , and the Deeside and Lochnagar National Scenic Area . The Dee is popular with anglers and is one of the most famous salmon fishing rivers in the world. The New Statistical Account of Scotland attributed the name Dee as having been used as early as
351-767: Is a village in Aberdeenshire , Scotland, around 58 miles (93 km) west of Aberdeen in the Highlands . It is the closest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee , sitting at an elevation of 339 metres (1,112 ft). The Gaelic Bràigh Mhàrr properly refers to the area of upper Marr (as it literally means), i.e. the area of Marr to the west of Aboyne , the village itself being Castleton of Braemar ( Baile a' Chaisteil in Scottish Gaelic ). The village used to be known as Cinn Drochaid ('bridge end'); Baile a' Chaisteil referred to only
390-419: Is classified as a Special Protection Area , due to the area's importance to golden eagles . Much of the semi-natural Caledonian pine forest in Scotland is within the Dee catchment. The area contains nationally rare examples of pine woods, birch woods and heather moors with associated wildlife. On the valley floor there are deciduous alder and mixed broadleaved woods as well as meadow grasslands. The Dee
429-535: Is dedicated to Saint Andrew and, following Catholic Emancipation , it was built in 1839. Catholicism has traditionally been strong in the Braemar area, and the bones of Saint Andrew rested in Braemar before being taken to the place now known as St Andrews. St Ninian's Chapel, Braemar , completed in 1898, is the Scottish Episcopal Church place of worship. Johann von Lamont (1805–1879),
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#1732772564575468-665: Is held at Braemar on the first Saturday in September and is traditionally attended by the British royal family . In 1746, the Act of Proscription stopped all clan gatherings, but following its repeal in 1782, the old enthusiasms for such events returned. In 1815, the Braemar Highland Society was created and officially constituted in 1817; the first modern-day games taking place in 1832 with cash prizes being awarded to
507-780: Is the River Don . The River Dee rises from a spring on the Braeriach plateau in the Cairngorm Mountains at a height of at about 1,220 m, the highest source of any major river in the British Isles . Emerging in a number of pools called the Wells of Dee the young Dee then flows across the plateau to the cliff edge from where the Falls of Dee plunge into An Garbh Choire ("burn of the rough corrie " ). The river
546-752: Is then joined by a tributary coming from the Pools of Dee in the Lairig Ghru , and flows south down the Lairig Ghru between Ben Macdui and Cairn Toul , tumbling over falls in the Chest of Dee on its way to White Bridge and the confluence with the Geldie Burn, at which point it turns east. At Linn of Dee the river passes east through a 300-metre natural rock gorge , a spot much favoured by Queen Victoria during her stays at Balmoral . The queen opened
585-553: The Braemar Highland Gathering and other local events. Birkhall which was previously owned by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother , is now a favourite retreat of King Charles . Due to these royal connections, the area around Braemar and Ballater is sometimes referred to "Royal Deeside", and this usage has been encouraged by the tourist trade. Braemar Braemar / b r eɪ ˈ m ɑːr /
624-630: The Clunie Water , a strategically important crossing on the Elsick Mounth , an ancient trackway used by Picts and Romans . It is located in the upper end of the historical Earldom of Mar , literally the Braes o' Mar . The Scottish Gaelic name Bràigh Mhàrr ('Upland of Mar') was originally applied to the general area; using Braemar for the village dates to around 1870. Before the 11th century, there were separate hamlets on each bank of
663-608: The Lairig an Laoigh ). Braemar is within a one-and-a-half-hour drive of Aberdeen , Dundee , and Perth . The village is overlooked from roughly northwest by Carn na Drochaide (818 m), from roughly northeast by Creag Choinneach (538 m), from roughly southwest by Carn na Sgliat (690 m), and from roughly southwest by Morrone (859 m). Like most of the United Kingdom, Braemar experiences an oceanic climate ( Köppen Cfb ) though somewhat cooler than lowland areas, verging on
702-545: The Lecht Ski Centre then on to Tomintoul and eventually Nairn . Beyond Braemar a narrow road continues along the south side of the Dee as far as Linn of Dee, at which point it doubles back to terminate at Linn of Quioch on the north bank of the Dee. There are no paved roads into the Cairngorms beyond Linn of Dee, although two walking routes, the Lairig Ghru and the Lairig an Laoigh , continue via passes in
741-504: The Scottish Highlands . Braemar has an annual average of 102 days of air frost and 153 days with 1 mm or more of rainfall. Snowfall can be heavy in winter and early spring, and often accumulates to depths of 30 cm (12 in) or more. 70 cm (28 in) was recorded by weather watcher Chris Booth on 9 February 2021. On 30 September 2015, Braemar had one of the largest recorded diurnal ranges of temperature in
780-518: The Clunie, Auchendryne on the west and Castleton on the east, or Bail Chasteil . The names are clearly marked on the current Ordnance Survey maps, below 'Braemar'. 'Castleton' refers to Kindrochit Castle , located within the modern village, rather than Braemar Castle to the south, while Kindrochit means 'bridge end'. Kindrochit (or Kindrochit-Alian) was known as Doldauha before the mid-9th century. According to legend, Malcolm III came to
819-600: The Dee near the Falls of Feugh at Banchory and Coy Burn enters at Milton of Crathes . The tidal limit is just above Bridge of Dee which was built about 1720; it carries the main A90 trunk road from Aberdeen to the south. Before reaching the North Sea, the river passes through Aberdeen Harbour , the principal marine centre for the energy industry in Europe, servicing the offshore oil and gas industry . An artificial channel
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#1732772564575858-731: The Invercauld Arms Hotel in Castleton, built over the mound where the Earl of Mar raised the Jacobite standard in 1715. Auchindryne (to use the spelling by Wyness) from Ach' an Droighinn ('field of the thorn') belonged to a branch of the Farquharsons until it was forfeited in the aftermath of the Jacobite rising of 1745 . Later that century it was acquired by William Duff, 1st Earl Fife . The Catholic Church in Braemar
897-692: The Scottish-German astronomer and astrophysicist who pioneered the study of the Earth's magnetic field was born in nearby Corriemulzie . On 16 March 2022, the 19th-century Braemar Lodge Hotel was engulfed in a fire and explosion. In the 1891 census, 59.2% of the population of Braemar spoke the Gaelic language "habitually"; the percentage of those actually able to speak the language (despite not having much opportunity to) would have been somewhat higher. The small crofting township of Inverey ( Inbhir Èidh )
936-479: The UK, as well as recording the warmest and coldest temperatures for the UK for September 2015; the maximum temperature was 24.0 °C (75.2 °F) and the minimum was −1.3 °C (29.7 °F). The next day it was again the coldest and warmest place in the UK. The minimum temperature was −2.0 °C (28.4 °F) and the maximum was a new October record for Braemar — 22.7 °C (72.9 °F). Braemar recorded −5.0 °C (23.0 °F) later that month, so for
975-509: The area in around 1059, and built a timber bridge connecting the east and west banks. 'Kindrochit' means bridge end and the castle is assumed to have been built to protect the crossing. The ruins are considered to be largely of 14th-century origin, replacing the presumed timber-construction of the original castle. Following the accession of George I in 1714, the Earl of Mar launched the 1715 Jacobite Rising on 6 September at Braemar. In 1795,
1014-579: The bridge which spans the Dee at this point in 1857. Between Linn of Dee and Braemar the Lui Water (formed by the Luibeg and Derry burns) and the Quoich Water join the growing River Dee. The River Clunie enters the Dee at Braemar. Evidence of human activity stretching as far back as c. 8,200 BC has been found at a complex of sites stretching along the banks of the Dee. Through Deeside
1053-680: The competitors, using the funds of the Braemar Highland Society. On 14 September 1848, Queen Victoria attended the Gathering at Invercauld . In 1866, Royal was added to Braemar Highland Society and in 1906, the Duke of Fife presented 12 acres (5 hectares) of Mar Estate to the society, and the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park, the current home of the Braemar Gathering, was created. Since Queen Victoria 's time,
1092-624: The line closed, the station was converted into a rail museum. It was destroyed by fire in 2015 and has since been restored, now providing a tourist information centre, restaurant, tearoom and public library. A very short section of the line near Milton of Crathes has been restored as a heritage railway , named the Royal Deeside Railway . Since the reign of Queen Victoria the British Royal Family have spent their summers at Balmoral Castle . Each year they attend
1131-638: The mountains to reach Speyside . Until 1966 the Deeside Railway ran from Aberdeen to Ballater, operated by the Great North of Scotland Railway . The line opened from Aberdeen to Banchory in 1853, was extended to Aboyne in 1859, and a further extension to Ballater was opened in 1866. The line was not extended beyond Ballater to Braemar as this would require it to run close to Balmoral, leading to objections from Queen Victoria. The Royal Family used Ballater Station when visiting Balmoral. After
1170-577: The part of the village on the east bank of the river, the part on the west bank being known as Ach an Droighinn ('thorn field'). Braemar is approached from the south on the A93 from Glen Clunie and the Cairnwell Pass and from the East also on the A93 from Deeside . Braemar can be approached on foot from the west through Glen Tilt , Glen Feshie , Glen Dee (by the Lairig Ghru ), and Glen Derry (by
1209-580: The present building dates from this time, although the tower house was remodelled in the late 17th century. Further alterations were made through the 18th and 19th centuries, and in 1875 the castle was extensively remodelled by John Thomas Wimperis in the Scots Baronial style. The house retains many Victorian furnishings and paintings. This article about a Scottish castle is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Royal Deeside The River Dee ( Scottish Gaelic : Uisge Dhè )
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1248-653: The reigning monarch has been the patron of the Braemar Royal Highland Society, and is styled Chieftain at the games. The current Chieftain of the Braemar Gathering is King Charles III . Lots of events are held, including: Another event that happens at Braemar is the presentation of the Aberdeenshire League/Walker's Shortbread League winners. The overall top six dancers from across certain Highland games held over
1287-594: The river passes Braemar , Balmoral Castle , Ballater , Dinnet , Aboyne , and Banchory reaching the sea at Aberdeen . Near Ballater two rivers are tributaries: the River Gairn flowing from the north and the River Muick which flows out of Loch Muick , from the south. The river is within the Cairngorms National Park until it reaches Dinnet. The Water of Tanar flows through Glen Tanar before joining at Aboyne . The Water of Feugh has its confluence with
1326-520: The second century AD in the work of the Alexandrian geographer Claudius Ptolemy , as Δηοῦα (=Deva), meaning 'goddess'. This indicated the river had divine status in the beliefs of the ancient inhabitants of the area. There are several other rivers with the same name in Great Britain , and they are believed to have similar derivations, as may the Dee's near neighbour to the north which
1365-457: The second month in a row Braemar recorded the warmest and coldest monthly temperatures for the UK. On 2 November 2015 a new record high temperature for November in Braemar was set 17.7 °C (63.9 °F). On 11 February 2021 Braemar made national news after a temperature of −23.0 °C (−9.4 °F) was recorded. It was the lowest February temperature since 1955 and the UK's coldest night since 30 December 1995. The modern village sits over
1404-419: The summer are presented with their awards. Each dancer receives a tin of Walker's shortbread (hence the nickname 'Shortbread League') and a commemorative vase, picture or something similar. Braemar has a golf course, two large hotels (Fife Arms and Invercauld Arms) as well as many smaller hotels and private homes offering bed and breakfast -style accommodation and a large SYHA hostel . On the southern edge of
1443-827: Was 86.3% Gaelic-speaking, most non-speakers being originally from Lower Deeside. The Gaelic spoken in the Aberdeenshire Highlands shared most features in common with the Gaelic of Strathspey and East Perthshire. The last native-speaker of the local Gaelic dialect died in 1984, though there are still surviving native-speakers of the similar Strathspey dialect. At the 2001 census, out of a total population of 839 in Crathie and Braemar Civil Parish, only 5 (0.6%) claimed to be Gaelic-speakers. Known colloquially as "The Games" and originating from those believed to have been held by Malcolm III , an annual Highland games gathering
1482-605: Was constructed in 1872 to straighten the river's flow into the sea. Footdee ("Fittie") is an old fishing village at the east end of Aberdeen Harbour. The Dee is important for nature conservation and the area has many designated sites. The upper catchment down to Inverey is within the Mar Lodge Estate , which is owned by the National Trust for Scotland and has been classified as a national nature reserve since May 2017. The Cairngorms National Park which
1521-416: Was established in 2003 covers the whole of the catchment of the Dee, including the tributaries, down to as far as Dinnet. As well as being included as part of the Cairngorms National Park , the Deeside area along with the mountains surrounding Lochnagar as far south as the head of Glen Doll is classified as the Deeside and Lochnagar National Scenic Area . It is one of 40 areas in Scotland designated as
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