An interesting find while driving around the highlands. The falconry had a few owls, a couple bald…read moreeagles and some hawks! We got the see a demonstration where they let us volunteer to have the birds fly to our gloved hands. While the birds are showing off the woman who was doing the demonstration was giving us some facts about each one. Was definitely a cool experience and recommend checking it out. There is a cafe here to enjoy some pastries and coffee although we did not try anything the pastries looked good!

The falconry centre is an amazing place to visit. You get to see lots of different varieties of…read morebirds in the centre and the owners are always at hand to answer any questions and let you know about each of the birds. There is also a chance to help during demonstrations, by holding the glove that the birds land on. The staff are very knowledgeable and they have birds from all over the world from kestrels to a golden eagle. There is also a little shop and café where you can buy a nice coffee and cake and peruse around the bird related gifts available. Well priced and an interesting day out.

Gardenstown is a charming village. Quite the hidden gem. It has a wonderful little functioning…read moreharbour, a few places to grab a bite and a nice path connecting the village to Crovie. There's a carpark on the east end of town. But if you visit this beach here (on the western end) you can park actually right here on the seawall. It's a very narrow road passing right in front of resident buildings. But most of the spaces are public with only few reserved lots. It's a nice little beach. Mostly locals will head here. It is a nice place to be or to have a walk. It's a mix of sand and stones. With some rock formations in the water. The location and scenery is very beautiful and looks amazing at sunset. It's also dog-friendly, a good place to meet furry friends. There's an abandoned path leading up to St. Johns Church from the beach. With some good shoes you can manage, but it's not really taken care of anymore. A very nice beach. I liked this one here on the western end better than the beach leading to Crovie. If you're in the area, be sure to check out Gardenstown and its beach.

A round at Cruden Bay is probably one of the rounds you will never forget. This seaside course can…read morebe incredibly difficult if the weather isn't on its best behavior (which it seldom is in Scotland). Some of the holes border on ridiculous and it will eat you up if you aren't at the top of your game. But this is a tremendous course, that most people will enjoy playing even if it means shooting a less attractive score than you might usually. It is claimed that golf was played in the village of Cruden Bay as early as 1791. The original course, on the present site, was commissioned by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) following the expansion of the railways at the end of the 19th century, designed by Old Tom Morris of St Andrews, and opened in 1899. Cruden Bay offers an internationally famous golfing experience - old fashioned links golf at its best - on one of the best links courses in Scotland, and last year was placed at No 52 in the world by "Golf Magazine". I have also heard that this was the course that Herb Kohler played and inspired him to create Whistling Straits in Koher, Wisconsin. Hope to return.

Fantastic food, awesome service and amazing view of the golf course and ocean!! The fish and chips…read moreis delicious and massive Ultimate Burger with chicken filet, burger, ham, bacon and fried egg just to top it off!! If you have a group of 4-5 people you have to order the chocolate Avalanche!! Brownie, ice cream, whipped cream, fudge, wafers, malted milk balls and marshmallows!!

Great views over Cullen beach and golf course, always plenty to see here whilst having a cup of tea…read more Open to the public and not a members club as l first thought, meals served plus light snacks & refreshments, coffee + tea served all day. Extended opening hours in the summer.

If you are in the area, take time to visit and play Cullen Golf Club. Take time to talk with the…read morelocals in the pub at the clubhouse to get a lay of the course before you play. Fantastic views, right course and fun. I cannot say enough about the friendliness and hospitality of the staff and locals at the course. I felt like I was at home again. Wild to find a pennant from my home course in the USA, Treesdale Country Club, hanging on the wall. Felt right at home.

We went to Lochter today for a 1/2 day of activities. That is four of them. Unfortunately, the…read morecarting was full (that is a great one), we booked archery, blindfolded 4x4 driving, Segway and air rifle shooting. On the day, the latter was replaced by digger driving. We had great fun for at least 3 hours, although the archery was a bit poor. Great guide and attitude from the staff. Finished off with a good lunch. Great time, but not cheap.

This might not be the best course in Scotland, but it is probably overlooked and certainly one of…read moremy favorites. The old course is a classic links designed by Old Tom Morris with deep revetted bunkers, undulating gorse lined fairways and smooth fast greens. It is a superb test of golf with seven par fours over 400 yards.... The seaside setting is beautiful, apart from the Royal Air Base that provides more than enough noise to an otherwise peaceful setting. This is really a fun course that provide some treasured golf memories. Also a good value. Hope to return!

Moray GC has two superb links courses, the Old and the New. The New is testing enough, and has…read moresome memorable holes - but the Old is a genuinely underrated gem, seemingly just below the radar of many who play Nairn and Castle Stuart in the area. The front 9 is quite varied, moving gradually inland after a gentle opening hole, with stern tests at the 3rd (elevated green), 4th (long par 3 with a road behind a very narrow green), 5th (well-bunkered drive, on a par 4 which is a beast into the wind), and 8th (another well-guarded hole featuring fairway bunkers and plenty of heather). The 9th and 10th offer some respite, birdie chance short 4s over nice undulating links terrain, before another few challenging 4s, culminating in the rugged 14th, where the RAF landing light in the fairway is your line, and the green butts up against the beach. Then, the last four holes go straight for home, and the 18th is probably the finest closing hole in Scotland, OB all the way up the right with the town and the clubhouse overlooking your efforts. Avoid Hell Bunker on the left of the raised green. This is the kind of course when, played once, you will be desperate to come back again and again.

This review relates to the walks from the Back o' Bennachie side. The Benachie Centre walks and car…read morepark are on the eastern aspect of the hills. At a little over 500 metres at its highest peak, Bennachie is an accessible hill walking site, barely 30 miles by road from Aberdeen. The Forestry Commission website linked below gives all the details, so I will concentrate on my experiences. The climb to Oxen Craig, the tallest of the peaks, from the Back o' Bennachie car park (easiest to find when approaching from Aberdeen) is steep if you are not experienced. It may be better to warm-up on one of the shorter, flatter walks if the weather is cool. There are short forest walks of as little as 1 1/2 miles. The main walk uphill is steep through the trees, but very well maintained. It gets very busy over summer, especially at weekends! Once you are above the tree line, the exposed side and top of the peaks can get windy, so be prepared. The views on a clear day are breathtaking - as this is in the North East of Scotland, the surrounding mountain ranges protect the area from most of the clouds and rain that affects western Scotland. One criticism of the otherwise great job done by the Forestry people - the various walks are colour-coded, but the key is only at the bottom. Half-way up through the trees, there is a point where a few trails meet: if you've forgotten which colour represented which trail, there's no way of checking. Overall, the Back o' Bennachie approach is thoroughly enjoyable!

Have walked up here several times. The main walk is quite steep in places and needs a bit of care…read more There are several other walks through the forest. Getting right to the top is worth the effort as the views are stunning. I would recommend taking a flask as a well earned cuppa is a great idea. Care is needed is you have young children as there are some sharp drops at the top too

This place is awsome. Iv only been once but am dying to get back again.read more

Went as part of a work night out which around 20 colleagues. Karting was good fun but was let down…read morebadly by the attitude of the staff who made us feel like we were an inconvenience. Continually shouted at by teenage boys for spinning or knocking into tyres which no-one in their right mind would do intentionally. The manager also took us all into the warehouse and shouted at us like we were school children between races for miss behaviour ie overtaking and knocking tyres out of place. A real disapointment for what was supposed to be a bit of fun. Pricing was decent and the facility itself is very good.