Fyvie Castle, Garden & Estate

Fyvie Castle began as a royal stronghold in the 13th century and grew a tower for each of the five families who held it, ending with the great wheel stair and the Edwardian opulence of Alexander Forbes-Leith, who bought it in 1889 with a fortune from American steel. The National Trust for Scotland shows it by guided tour, past one of the finest portrait collections in Scotland, with Raeburn, Gainsborough, Romney and Batoni, and the death mask of a hanged murderer in the library. Outside are a walled garden, an ice house, a racquets court and a half-hour waymarked walk round Fyvie Loch to a bird hide. Reviewers praise the guides for their stories, one of whom plays the piano, and the tearoom. Tips from visitors: tours are first come, first served in groups of fifteen, Wednesday to Friday, with self-led visits on weekend mornings; the castle closes from November to February while the grounds stay open; and livestock graze the estate, so keep dogs on a lead.