Kemnay sits just southwest of Inverune which is not too far from Aberdeen.  We left our B & B at 9:30 and made the short drive to Castle Fraser.  The castle is an imposing sight as you approach along the Broad Walk; an impression the lairds intended.  The present castle took shape between 1575 and 1636 – a statement of pride for the Fraser family and a show  of strength to any potential foes. Unfortunately the castle was closed for some reason the day we were there.  There is a lovely walled garden just off the Broad Walk and the gate was open so we took a wander around. Only an avid gardener would consider planting their vegetable garden in decorative shapes. Once we toured the walled garden we climbed to the top of the tower to see the expansive view.. A bit of a zigzag route SE brought us to the Cullerlie Stone Circle, another one of the ancient cairns that dot the Scottish countryside.  Cullerlie is a circle of eight stones enclosing an area consecrated by fires on which eight small cairns were later built.

Our next stop this day was Drum Castle and Rose Garden.  This was on my list to check out for my sister who has over 600 roses in her garden.  I had heard that Drum had an extensive rose garden with many heritage roses so I thought I would go see some in her stead. (To be continued in Part 2)