GOLF & FISHING

The coast and countryside of north-east Scotland offer almost limitless possibilities for getting off the beaten track, getting active, and delving deeper in the area’s heritage. All within easy reach of Aikenshill are...

Some of Aberdeenshire’s 25 links golf courses,

including Cruden Bay, ranked in Golf Magazine’s top 60, nearby Newburgh, and Royal Aberdeen, the sixth oldest club in the world. There are a further 45 parkland and three heathland courses.

The north-east of Scotland is famed for its fishing, with the river Dee in particular a magnet for keen salmon anglers, along with the Don.

Sea angling is possible — with care — along much of the coast, and there are 11 lochs and fisheries for those preferring a more sedate approach, including nearby Haddo Trout Fishery.