Aberdeen
and Moray.

The north-east contains one of Scotland's densest and most varied castle landscapes. Fertile farmland, river valleys and routes towards the Highlands supported powerful families who built everything from severe medieval strongholds to highly finished tower houses and country estates. Granite gives many buildings a particular weight, but the architecture is far from uniform.

Dunnottar commands the coast from an isolated headland, while Huntly and Kildrummy speak of major territorial power inland. Crathes, Drum, Fyvie, Castle Fraser and Tolquhon show how defence gradually met comfort, display and carefully planned gardens. The distances are manageable, but the contrast between coast, Deeside and the agricultural interior rewards more than a single rushed circuit.