13 things to do in Royal Deeside

Pretty stone villages Braemar and Ballater sell everything a regal rambler needs. Kit yourself out with a lambswool blanket, and fill a hamper with oatcakes and smoked salmon. 

The royal family's summer home is the fairytale castle of Balmoral, and its 50,000 acre estate is open to the public when Her Maj isn't in residence. Budget won't stretch to a luxury Land Rover safari tour? Hire a bike. Keep your eyes peeled for red squirrels and rare woodland grouse as you pootle through the ancient pine forests. 

Once a working railway station, nowadays Ballater's Old Royal Station is a visitor centre with a friendly café that dishes up first-class soups, sarnies, scones and a champagne afternoon tea. Don't miss the sumptuous royal waiting room- even the toilet is beautifully decorated. 

Pick one of countless well-marked walking trails ranging from gentle riverside strolls to steep hill hikes. For majestic views, tackle the seven-mile circular walk from Braemar to the summit of the 859m Morrone hill, where you're rewarded with a panorama of the brooding Cairngorms.

Head to the Highlands' coolest hotel: the lavish Fife Arms is crammed with artwork and serves a Queen Victoria- inspired whisky-and-claret cocktail in the art deco bar. The adjoining pub, The Flying Stag, has Cairngorms Brewery's ales on draught and is furnished with- you've guessed it- a stuffed stag with wings. 

Follow in Queen Vic’s footsteps and picnic at the Linn of Dee, where the river is squeezed by a rocky ravine. A woodland trail wends its way through mighty scots pines to the River Lui, which has carved out a dramatic gorge and tumbles over mini-falls as it rushes to reach the Dee.

Edward VII's eldest daughter Princess Louise built this imposing hunting lodge, Mar Lodge, and her granny (aka Queen Vic) was a guest at grand balls. Now, the estate is Britain's biggest nature reserve and the house is divided into apartments. The reception rooms are opulent- the wood- panelled library is adorned with hunting trophies, the ballroom with more than 2,000 stag skulls- but true splendour lies beyond the front door. The estate boasts four of the UK's highest mountains, and you can amble across its moorlands and glens for hours without spying another soul. From £360 for four nights.