Aberdeen, in July. Chilly, positively autumnal, in fact, and imposing - all that granite. We only went far enough in to pick up a hire car and then headed northwest to stay in a Scottish farmhouse for two days. Forty minutes later we arrived at the village of Fyvie (notable only for Fyvie Castle). Two miles on we turned off for the 200-acre Wyness family farm.
Mrs Wyness made us welcome, we never saw her husband. Not surprising really; he had this and two other farms to run. Mrs Wyness decided to offer bed and breakfast when the last of her children left home and the BSE crisis hit. She runs a tight ship. Rooms are spotless and heated (we had to have the radiators on).
We got going early the next day after porridge and making sure we were wearing lots of layers, despite the fact that the weather had 'broken' (i.e. it had stopped raining for the first time in a week). Mrs Wyness gratifyingly made much of how bad the weather was.
Our short break was divided into coastal and inland attractions - the latter being quiet countryside, rolling farmland and a very well signposted castle trail.
We headed for the coast first. Crovie is notable for being about as unspoilt as unspoilt fishing villages get. No more than a row of cottages really and so tucked in to the coastline that it is all but invisible until you're upon it. A hurricane hit Crovie in 1953 and the fishing community never recovered. Crovie is now a village of holiday homes. There is, however, no obvious concession to tourism, aside from a lookout point just above the village which discreetly offers details of local history.
The sun broke through and, bouncing off the murky Atlantic, lit Crovie up very prettily. Many happy hours could be spent exploring coastal paths and staring out to sea. Next along the coast is Pennan, a village made famous by its use as a location in the Bill Forsyth film Local Hero.
Miraculously the sun stayed out, and we headed inland to the Forest of Deer for a picnic which was lovely; we lay in the hot sun. Birdwatchers would love it here. It's not my hobby but I was stunned by a buzzard on a gate two feet from us, who took flight impressively. Red kites hovered cleverly.
After a long walk, we decided to visit Haddo House, once the seat of the Gordons and several Earls of Aberdeen. I don't know about the house (we weren't going inside anywhere once the sun had shown itself) but the grounds are quite lovely. Despite being peak season there was almost no one else around.
Our mission for the evening was to find somewhere good to eat. We drove to the Meldrum Arms Hotel in Old Meldrum. Incredibly pleasant staff served up seafood and pheasant close to closing time.
The next day we thought we should actually visit a castle and so drove to Huntly Castle, home of the Gordons and some mad earl who lived there in extravagant style in the 1400s. It was all beautifully restored and impressive, but I prefer the ruins that litter the countryside here - far more evocative and beautiful.
Fact file
Scottish Farmhouse Holidays is a central reservation service for working farms and crofts. Call 01890 751830 for a copy of its brochure. Prices for B&B start from £15 per person per night up to an average of £24 for a double room with private facilities.
British Airways flies direct between London and Aberdeen. Contact BA on 0345 222111. Prices start from £100.20 (inc taxes). Car hire can be arranged through Scottish Farmhouse Holidays.
