PLACES TO STAY…

Kintore Arms Hotel, High Street, Inverurie, 01467 621367. This hotel, on the banks of the rivers Don and Ury, dates back to 1855.

Dounside House, Tarland, 01339 881230. Luxury accommodation in the former home of the Macrobert family, now run by the Macrobert Trust.

No 45 Guest House, Braemar Road, Ballater, 0800 044 9775. Victorian accommodation five minutes from town centre.

Castle Hotel, Huntly, 01466 792696. Arrive in style on the hotel’s own helipad!

Shallowplough Bed & Breakfast, Ellon, 01358 761244. Family-run pet-friendly establishment in six rural acres. Belwade Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre, Aboyne, 01339 885398. Visitor centre at the heart of equine welfare.

The Lost Gallery, Strathdon, 01975 651287. Fascinating gallery in a 19th century farmhouse with an eclectic selection of paintings, sculpture and photography.Paul Duke: At Sea, Aberdeen Maritime Museum, Shiprow, 01224 337700. A selection of work by the Scottish photographer documenting north-east Scotland’s fishing communities.

Tomahawk steak at Porterhouse