North East 250

18/04/2024

https://www.facebook.com/100070912095071/posts/443210564719343/?sfnsn=mo

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North East 250
Marfan Trust



Starting Ballindalloch Distillery
Lunch BBQ at Deeside Activity Park
Finnish line party at Hopeman caravan park ..

Cannonbawz.com. To reg

17/04/2024

Live at with at
Showcasing all that there is to enjoy on our fabulous route!

01/04/2024

*** Important Update***
HM Coastguard - Highland Area Commander, Fiona Hastie (having been in contact with her brother Gordon regarding this alleged sighting) has been in touch with us with the following information for the general public:

“Whilst we regularly receive reports of Nessie in and around Loch Ness, over the past week, we have had several reports of unusual activities along the coast towards the Speyside area. At this time of year the rivers are deeper and faster flowing with snow melt therefore, as always, we would ask that the public exercise caution around areas of open water.
We would like to reassure them that whilst this sighting is not confirmed, we treat all reported sightings of Nessie seriously and will work alongside partner agencies in responding”.

31/03/2024

Nessie on the North East 250

The legend surrounding the Loch Ness Monster has been around for centuries, with many alleged sightings of her in the dark and deep Loch Ness. This latest news, however, suggests that she may have moved to pastures new…

Last Wednesday, while travelling along the route of the North East 250, arguably Scotland’s leading road trip, Steve Brand (Head Ghillie at Ballindalloch Castle and Gardens Highland Estate) stopped for a break on the banks of the Spey, Scotland’s fastest river. Steve and his family were close to completing their scenic drive at his place of work, the beautiful Ballindalloch Castle & Gardens, near Aberlour.

Having toured the route over 5 days (why rush it, he felt) they had seen so many beautiful sights, tasted delicious local food and experienced some great activities. As he contemplated the fast-flowing water and his busy fishing season ahead, Steve saw in The Boat Pool (one of the deepest along the Spey at 25ft) what he firmly believes to have been Nessie.

He said: “In all my years of working on this river, I have never seen anything like it. That was no salmon! I can’t be sure it was Nessie, but I can’t think of anything else it could have been. My concern now, however, is that the monster potentially is going to eat all of our fish. This would cause significant problems, not just for us as a business, but also for our friends at Spey Fishery Board who are working tirelessly to protect our river and its resident species.”

Dr. Gordon Hastie, Deputy Director of the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews has commented: “This is an extraordinary sighting. It would be highly unusual to see this species outside her traditional deepwater habitat. However, over the last few years, we have observed increasing numbers of aquatic species changing their behaviour as a result of climate change, and this sighting of Nessie may be just the latest example of this.”

Guy Macpherson-Grant, owner of Ballindalloch Highland Estate and creator of the North East 250 driving route, has heard of other sightings from local fishermen. Guy had just put it down to someone having enjoyed a few too many drams from his Distillery further down the road: “We are so happy to share our produce with locals and visitors, but this does sometimes lead to a distinct lack of clarity when reporting fish and other river activity. So, I called my good friend Willie Cameron, known as Mr Loch Ness to many, to see if he could shed any light on this alleged sighting.”

Willie Cameron responded: “I’m really very interested in this supposed latest sighting of Nessie. The Loch has had an unusually quiet and ominous feel to it the last 10 days or so, I can’t quite put my finger on it. I’m not aware of Nessie having moved habitat in the past, and so it is very surprising to be hearing this latest news. We are going to conduct some more drone surveys of the loch, and also complete water tests, in the coming days to ascertain if there has been any significant change to the water quality, which may well explain why she has perhaps moved elsewhere.”

The North East 250 route is no stranger to mysteries such as the origin of Bram Stoker’s Dracula at Cruden Bay, Spinning Jenny of Ballater and the legend of the Wine Tower in Fraserburgh. So, this adds yet another intriguing reason to travel the route…

…to find out more about the route, head to www.northeast250.com and let your own adventure and Nessie chase begin.

29/03/2024

We'd like to wish a very Happy Easter from the North East 250 team.

Why not take a few days to take part in some of the fabulous activities taking place along the route over the holiday period. Here are a few to give you some ideas. 🐰🐣

Along with Ivy's Emporium, vintage & antiques shop in Banff. Open Easter Saturday 10-4 and then Tues to Thurs, Sat 10-4. 🐣🐰🪺

And then there is so much when you travel toward the Aberdeen end of the 250. Come into the heart of the North East and take in the loads of history in the area Pitmedden Gardens, Haddo House & Gardens, Fyvie Castle & Gardens. For any Motorhome and camper van travellers looking for a overnight stop come to campra site Retreat At Flobbets

07/02/2024

We're looking forward to this one! Sign up now, and be sure of an awesome day!

Cannonbawz run kicks of our 10th year with our incredible Ne250 in April ..

We hope you can join us for this incredible fun day for all around these stunning roads .

Registration now open
Cannonbawz.com

Hope to see you along .

02/02/2024

Thanks to our friends at Gillanders Motors, we have this little teaser of their trip on the NE250 with their Kia UK EV6.
Having had the opportunity to drive the car myself, I can very happily say that the car is an absolute beauty and handles those bends with absolute finesse! Being a non-EV owner, I was a little anxious about running out of charge, etc, but with so many charging points along the route, my anxieties soon disappeared, meaning I could crack on with enjoying the scenery and the car!

15/11/2023

Earlier this week we had a visit from Jack and Becca. They were travelling the North East 250 (which runs right past our farm) in an electric Kia UK EV6. This spectacular route incorporates the North Sea coastline to the Moray Firth, the cairngorm national park and also Royal Deeside and Aberdeen. However you wish to travel the route, be sure to pop in past and say hello! www.downonthefarm.net

12/11/2023

We will remember them.

11/11/2023

Ah, nothing like touring the fabulous Lecht Road. Shame about the fog though 🙄
We hope it wasn't too eerie driving past Toplis's Bothy...

11/11/2023

Ballindalloch Castle may be closed for the season, but Becca & Jack from Gillanders Motors were able to pop in and catch up with Guy Macpherson-Grant, creator of the route!

11/11/2023

Sounds like it's all going well for Gillanders Motors in their Kia UK EV6!

Have you seen them yet? 👀

10/11/2023

The Gillanders Motors team are clearly having a hard day of it, having visited our friends at Down on the Farm this morning!

10/11/2023

That's the Gillanders Motors North East 250 challenge underway! A frosty start no doubt, but they are well equipped with their Kia UK EV6! Remember to give them a wave if you see them.

And they’re off! It was an early start for Jack and Becca this morning leaving Gillanders Motors at 07:30am. First stop on for the Kia UK EV6 on the North East 250 journey was a visit to Peterhead Prison Museum. A must see for anyone visiting the area.

As a special bonus, there’s also 10% off the admission fee for Gillanders customers. You’ll be able to claim your voucher at your next service or when you purchase a car from our sales team.

09/11/2023

We are so looking forward to this! Gillanders Motors are off on their EV adventures this weekend and taking on the North East 250.

If you see them on their travels, please give them a wave & share your photos!

25/10/2023

Here's another fun fact for us all! Did you know, that the North East 250 is home to the ONLY Aberdeen Angus Trail in the world? Well, you do now!

Welcome to the Worlds Only Aberdeen Angus Trail. Situated here in the North East corner of Scotland, where over the centuries, a very special breed of cattle has been developed. Known all over the Globe as a benchmark for quality beef and a brand that is instantly recognisable. There are millions of...

11/10/2023

Ballindalloch Distillery team have been busy. Slainte Mhath!

We are delighted to announce the launch of Edition No.1 of our Seven Springs Collection!
This is our first 70cl bottling from Ballindalloch, which is limited to just 1,200 in number and was a double gold winner in the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco.
This is the first release in what will be a collection of seven different bottlings named after the Seven Springs from which the Distillery draws its water.
It will be on the shelf at the Distillery Shop from 10am on Thursday 12th October, priced at £150 per bottle.

11/10/2023

Check out our itineraries on our website https://www.northeast250.com/find-yourself-on-the-north-east-250/ for inspiration. With so much to see & do, these are great for pin pointing the things YOU want to see/do.
Food, history and outdoor action, we've got it all on the

03/10/2023

Tattie hols are just around the corner folks! Have you left it late in the day - want to plan a cheeky wee family friendly break - and don't know where to start? Well, we've got you covered!

Over the next few days we'll be sharing info from our partners with what they're up to! Whether it's accommodation, water sports with Sea School , crafting & other shenanigans Byres Farm or wandering around the Fraserburgh Arts Group Autumn Art Trail.

26/09/2023

Fun fact for today...

There are a staggering 300 castles in the North East, more per acre than ANYWHERE ELSE in the British Isles!

Here are just a few to tease you!

23/09/2023

Every picture has a story to tell...

Here is Toplis Bothy, located on the A939 just outside the village of Tomintoul. And what a dark story it tells!
In April 1920, Percy Toplis allegedly killed a taxi driver in Kent, going on the run, he took refuge in this bothy. Smoke coming from the chimney of this seemingly abandoned building alerted local gamekeeper John McKenzie, and so began the "Tomintoul Outrage"! John McKenzie, John Grant (a tenant farmer) and PC George Greig confronted Toplis, who then withdrew his gun and seriously injured Grant & Greig, before fleeing the scene.
It was after some 44 days following the Kent murder that Toplis was eventually captured in Carlisle and shot dead by police.
Toplis Bothy is in a truly beautiful and magnificent spot, with a bubbling stream running past it, sheep and wildlife roaming the hills. When standing there, in the peace & the solitude, it is very hard to imagine just what horrors took place there.

21/09/2023

In the words of the legend that is Sir David Attenborough:

“Scotland is a wonderfully fascinating place for wildlife and nature. It has, in my opinion, some of the most marvellous landscapes and wildlife spectacles you will find anywhere.”

We can't promise you'll see all of this on your tour of the North East 250, but we can definitely tell you the most likely places to stand the best possible chance!

Speyside Wildlife

19/09/2023

For the last few nights, the Aurora Borealis has been visible across the skies of the UK.

These photos were taken last night by Rachel Nowak of Damside
Thanks for these incredible photos Rachel, we are so lucky to see the Merry Dancers often up here in the North East!

13/09/2023

Earlier this month we posted about Moray's Doors Open Day, and today we're shouting about the Aberdeenshire one, which is on this weekend!
Lots of fantastic, history rich (and history in the making!) places to visit whilst en route for your next overnight stop.

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/entertainment/whats-on/6115162/aberdeenshire-doors-open-day-2023/?fbclid=IwAR1WT74NoiDHpTmMjXkatav69MV-FU2ZJNjwlymvOHxxHLPVrHAAq7VVrPg

A range of buildings including castles, lighthouses and museums will be open as part of Scotland's free largest heritage trail.

12/09/2023

An entire article dedicated to North East ice creams! There is much to love about this!

Join me on the hunt to find the cheapest whippy ice cream in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

08/09/2023

Let the route tempt you... entice you... welcome you.

05/09/2023

The 23rd September will see a number of places across Moray open their doors to visitors. Why not pop along to some during your trip? Gordon Castle Walled Garden Cullen Sea School and Scalan Seminary & Mill Buildings are all well worth a visit!

In Person Moray Doors Open Day Forres Tolbooth 23 September 2023 Built in 1838/39 on the site of the existing Tolbooth which has been situated there for over 800 years. This fascinating historic building is now looked after by the Forres Heritage Trust. Delve in to the past when you visit one of For...