THE ANCIENT province of the Mearns provides a good gateway to Deeside. Here the colour of the rich red earth is the pointer to the annual harvest of the land. To the west is the long wall of the Grampian outliers, heavy domed hills that guard the high peaks beyond as well as marking the line of the Highland Boundary Fault — the conspicuous geological change that marks the entry from Lowland to Highland. The so-called Highland Line runs from Helensburgh in Dumbartonshire to Stonehaven in Kincardineshire.

Local folk speak of the Howe o the Mearns, howe being a Scots word for "hollow". The Howe is that rich stretch of fertile farming land east of Fettercairn and centred around Laurencekirk. This is a place of interesting little villages, well worth closer examination. Stonehaven is a handsome little resort and fishing port, happily accommodating changing cultures both geological and social, stories that are expressly told in the museum housed in the 16th century Tolbooth.

If you’re of an adventurous streak, then take the challenging A93 from Perth and Blairgowrie over the Cairnwell - at 2200 feet the highest public road in the UK - and stop for a civilised coffee at the summit. From here, visitors are swept down to the valley of the river Dee at Braemar. Here in this most Highland of Highland villages is Braemar Castle, the first of many stunning fortresses and tower houses throughout Aberdeenshire, and itself only half-dozen miles from Balmoral.

So choose your gateway. Your holiday begins here!

What Life is Like Here Things to See and Do Your Day Out Essential Walking