Fyvie Castle (National Trust For Scotland)

Ghosts, legends and folklore are all woven into the tapestry of Fyvie’s 800-year history. Each tower of this magnificent Scottish Baronial fortress is traditionally associated with one of the castle’s five successive families – Preston, Meldrum, Seton, Gordon and Forbes-Leith. You can see their influences today among the medieval stones and the lavish Edwardian interiors, and imagine what castle life must have been like for the families and their royal guests – among them Robert the Bruce and CharlesI.

Art lovers will appreciate Fyvie’s rich portrait collection, including works by Batoni, Romney, Gainsborough, Opie, Lawrence and Hoppner. The castle also boasts one of the largest private collections of Raeburns in the world. There’s an equally impressive collection of fine furniture, tapestries, arms and armour throughout the castle’s vast chambers, and a great stone wheel staircase – the finest of its kind in Scotland.

Save time for a leisurely stroll around Fyvie’s grounds and lochside, landscaped in the early 19th century. The 18th-century walled garden has recently been redeveloped as a garden of Scottish fruits and vegetables, and this, along with the American Garden and other parkland areas, is open all year.