NE250 by Motorhome: A North East 250 Itinerary

The North East 250 is the quietest of Scotland's named routes, and one of the most varied: a 250-mile loop that strings together the Aberdeenshire castle coast, Royal Deeside, a high crossing of the Cairngorms, the Speyside whisky country and the Moray dolphin coast. It ranks alongside the NC500 for variety with a fraction of the traffic. This is how to do the NE250 from the Glasgow depot over six unhurried days.

Day 1: Glasgow to Stonehaven and Dunnottar

It is about 150 miles up from the depot, roughly three hours by Perth and the A90, which lands you on the Aberdeenshire coast at Stonehaven. Just south, the clifftop ruin of Dunnottar Castle is the photograph everyone comes for, perched on its headland above the sea. The Queen Elizabeth Park site by Stonehaven Bay makes a comfortable first night before the loop begins.

Day 2: Royal Deeside

West up the River Dee into castle country. Crathes Castle has fairy-tale turrets and yew-hedged gardens, and the road on through Ballater leads to Balmoral, the royal estate, with the Cairngorms rising behind. Ballater itself is a fine wee town for a walk and a coffee, with the restored Old Royal Station, and Braemar lies further up the glen if the day allows.

Day 3: Over the Cairngorms into Speyside

The A939 climbs over the Lecht, one of the highest public roads in the country and a proper Cairngorms crossing, before dropping to Tomintoul and on into Speyside. This is whisky's heartland, and Dufftown is its capital, with Glenfiddich and a clutch of famous names within a few miles. Settle in here; tomorrow is for the distilleries.

Day 4: Speyside and the Moray coast

The Malt Whisky Trail links the working distilleries around Aberlour, Dufftown and Rothes; pick two or three rather than rushing a list, and keep a driver dry (more on that below). Then north to Elgin, with its ruined cathedral, and out to Spey Bay, where the river meets the sea and the Moray Firth dolphins come in to feed. It is one of the best places in Europe to watch them from the shore.

Day 5: The Moray and Aberdeenshire coast

East along the coast through the old fishing towns: Cullen, home of the smoked-haddock soup that bears its name, then Portsoy and the cliff-clinging houses of Pennan. Round the corner at Fraserburgh and down the Aberdeenshire coast you reach the gaunt ruin of New Slains Castle above Cruden Bay, said to have given Bram Stoker the idea for Dracula. The beaches along this stretch are long and largely empty.

Day 6: Back to Glasgow

Through Aberdeen, the granite city, and then the run back down by Perth to the depot. The loop is closed, the motorhome comes home to Glasgow, and there's no one-way drop to sort.

How long do you need for the NE250?

The official North East 250 is about 250 miles, and five to six days gives it room without rushing the distilleries or the coast. Trim it to four if you skip a leg, or take a week and slow right down. The middle of the loop is covered in more detail in our Cairngorms and Speyside campsites guide and the Whisky Trail trip idea.

Good to know

• Distillery driving. The driver stays dry. Most Speyside distilleries offer a driver's dram to take away, so nobody misses out and the road stays safe.
• The Lecht. The A939 over the Cairngorms is high and exposed; it's well-surfaced and fine in season, but check Traffic Scotland in poor weather.
• Dolphins. Spey Bay and the wider Moray Firth are among Europe's best spots for bottlenose dolphins; a rising tide is the time to watch.
• Dogs. Welcome throughout, with miles of quiet Moray beaches. Bring your own bowls and bedding; the whole fleet takes dogs for a single per-hire cleaning fee.

It completes the set: where the NC500 has the drama and the west coast has the islands, the NE250 has the castles, the whisky and the quiet. Take your time over it.

City guides nearby

For where to stop and what to see in the cities on or near this route, see our city guides: Aberdeen, Dundee.