Once upon a time in a magical kingdom...

A trip to Aberdeen involved adventure, astronauts and plenty of princesses, Barrie Daglish discovered

They say it’s grim up north. But maybe that’s just if your PE teacher bullies you and your only friend is a kestrel. Or if it’s the ‘70s and the electricity only comes on for half the week. Either way, they can’t be talking about the north we went to. We loaded up the family wagon and headed up the way to a land of kings and queens, astronauts and warrior princesses – where the sun shines and adventure is everywhere.

The signs said we were heading for Aberdeen but I’d been there before (and had my Dunfermline-supporting heart broken at Pittodrie) and this seemed different – another country almost. Our first hint that we were in a magical kingdom came near Stonehaven, where my youngest daughter was beyond excited to find herself standing (a safe distance from) a clifftop and looking at Merida’s castle.

Cool as I obviously am, there is no doubt her four-year-old heart belongs to Disney and to see the home of the feisty Scottish princess from the hit film Brave was a big deal. Turns out it was not just the little girl who loved Dunnottar Castle. It presents what is easily one of the most dramatic, stunning views, surely, that Scotland has to offer. The ruined medieval fortress that sits out on a windswept headland was not originally intended to be used as inspiration for Merida’s home by the creative types at The Mouse House, but it’s not hard to see why they were won over. My older two children – nine and eight – were less excited about the Disney connection but had a great time among the rock pools in the shadow of the castle. My son was especially pleased to find a crab but my suggestion that perhaps it was Merida’s sidekick was given short shrift. Apparently, it’s The Little Mermaid who hangs out with a crab. Or is it a lobster...

Windblown but happy, we headed on to our next stop, The Aberdeen Altens Hotel. Three miles from the Granite City, this four-star hotel was to be home for two nights and our first order of business was checking out the pool. My wife tried out the sauna and steam room while I helped our young Disney fanatic practise her doggy paddle. The older two loved their first time in a Jacuzzi and we were soon ready for dinner. There was plenty of choice from two menus (plus the children’s menu) and a fine meal capped off a great day.

Our first hint that we were in a magical kingdom came near Stonehaven, where my youngest daughter was beyond excited to find herself standing on a clifftop and looking at Merida’s castle

In the morning, the sun was shining again and the boy who would be king was standing on a boulder, surveying the towers and turrets before him. We’d headed along the river, winding our way beside the dark blue waters, over little stone bridges and into Royal Deeside.

The stunning scenery on the way to Balmoral Castle keeps coming once you are on the estate. The towering evergreens and burnt-orange hills that surround it are just as impressive as the Queen’s summer home. We looked at an impressive collection of vintage vehicles and an interesting display of the royal family’s Christmas cards over the decades as we also tried to find little plaques and complete our question sheets that were part of a fun quiz trail.

The trail takes visitors around the estate near the castle and we ended up at the lawn in front of Balmoral, my wife and I watching the kids race around on the same grassy expanse Harry and William and numerous other royals had been pictured playing on over the years. To go from the photographic display with all the famous faces and then find yourself at the same spot – which has barely changed – minutes later helped to reinforce the sense of history at Balmoral, a gift from Prince Albert to Queen Victoria.

We ended the day, after going inside the castle and taking in a few portraits, with an ice cream on another, much smaller, patch of grass – the green in the middle of Ballater, a “Victorian village” as attractive as its surroundings.

The next morning we headed into the city centre and put our brains to the test at the Aberdeen Science Centre. There were lots of hands-on activities and workshops to get to grips with and the two girls had fun dressing up as astronauts and learning about the adventures of Britain’s Major Tim. Peake performers, then. I have to confess, though, there weren’t too many eureka moments for me and the coffee and cake was a welcome consolation prize after being left floundering at most of the challenges while the children mastered them and raced on to the next one.

After my science lesson, it was time to hit the road, which took us past Dunnottar Castle once again. We stopped for another quick visit and then headed south, loaded up with a ton of happy memories and a souvenir boulder from the shoreline beneath Merida’s castle. It now sits by the back door and reminds everyone else of a great trip and me of just how many steps there are back up from that beach.