That’s all going to change in March and the first destination could well be Brodie Castle
It’s been a wet and windy month and that’s just the weather. Not as wet and windy as in parts of southern Scotland and the UK but certainly enough to keep us indoors when not at work and coming at the end of winter, cabin fever is setting in.
That’s all going to change in March and the first destination could well be Brodie Castle https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/see-brodie-blooming on the Moray/Highlands Border. Home to the Brodie family for over 400 years, it’s a stunning castle to visit at any time but in March and April, it boasts one of the best daffodil displays in the UK. If you think that one daffodil looks like another, think again as Brodie has over 400 varieties to discover and over 100 in its walled garden alone. Whilst you have to pay to visit the castle, and it’s well worth the money, it’s free to visit their extensive grounds and walk amongst the daffodils. If you have the time, take the wildlife walk around the small loch, take your binoculars as there are two bird watching hides. It’s a pedestrian zone, a rugged but fairly good path, and at half a mile, is just long enough for even fairly small youngsters to tackle (they can take bikes). Small intrepid walkers can be rewarded with the outdoor play park whilst the not so small can enjoy a coffee in the castle café, sitting outside if you want to keep an eye on the youngsters.
That again is all free (well, not the coffee obvs). A year or two back Brodie Castle introduced the Playful Garden which has objects and characters inspired by the castle’s history including Scotland’s biggest bunny sculpture, a castle Wendy house or rather Wendy castle, a pond and outdoor musical instruments and an indoor soft play for small children. You do have to pay for entry to the Playful Garden (you can combine it with castle tickets) and it opens after the winter break on 1st March.
Another event which is fast approaching is the 21st Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. It’s a ten day programme of events all featuring the water of life, whisky, and starts from Wednesday 29th April. There are a staggering 700 or so whisky inspired events from whisky master classes; whisky inspired fine dining; exclusive tastings; ceilidhs; outdoor adventures and so on. There’s even a three-day whisky school for real aficionados and you graduate with a diploma, so you can well justify that to the family as an educational outing. The full list of events is on their website: https://www.spiritofspeyside.com. Although the Whisky Festival doesn’t start until the end of April, some of the venues are small and have very limited numbers so don’t leave it too late to book your tickets. A few are already fully booked. And remember that goes for accommodation and transport too which will be at a peak. You certainly won’t be wanting to drive on these visits so make sure you book your Ace Taxi too. Through Ace Tours, we can book your whole visit and plan it around your visit to Moray and the surrounding area.
