A special day out in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire in Winter with Nicola, owner of Highland Journeys.

You never know who you’re going to meet on tour!

This lovely group of lads come over to Britain three times a year to watch their favourite football team, Liverpool FC! They add on some sightseeing trips around the UK and this year they made it all the way up to Aberdeen! They found me online and their one request was Balmoral Castle.

What a fun day we had! Our first stop was the impressive Crathes Castle where we also managed to see some of our cutest Highland cows roaming about on the Estate!

After a delicious coffee stop in Ballater to warm us up, we headed for Balmoral Castle. They loved exploring the grounds and gardens and enjoyed sampling the locally sourced food on offer at the Royal Café.

We drove further into the stunning Cairngorms National Park; this is Britain’s finest area of wilderness and wildlife; it is a joy to show folks Mother Nature at its best. The snow-capped mountains and ancient castles now in view as we drove to the Highland village of Braemar. I knew they would love a wee dram at the famous Fife Arms Hotel (now in the top 50 hotels of the world! impressive!). We sat here enjoying the amazing Scottish hospitality, whilst watching the snowflakes getting ever bigger outside…it was time to go! Back to Aberdeen we went, before the roads became too snowy and icy.

This was an unforgettable day trip for the lads who had come from all corners of the globe (Mumbai, Alberta, Houston to name a few!) to see the rugged Highlands and ancient landscapes in Winter. They are going to get in touch with me on their next adventure further into the Highlands! Haste ye back!