This Highland getaway is based in Grantown-on-Spey, a thriving settlement in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. The town dates from the mid-eighteenth century and boasts a range of independent shops as well as a museum and visitor centre with exhibitions showcasing local history. We spend a day at majestic Ballindalloch Castle & Gardens, known as the ‘Pearl of the North’, and one of Scotland’s few private fortresses that has been lived in continuously by the family that founded it - namely the Macpherson-Grants. This Scottish Baronial stronghold stands magnificently in the heart of Speyside, and blends history and grandeur with all the grace of a much-loved family home. We enjoy a tour and tasting experience at Glenfiddich Distillery, a brand that has remained in the same family for over 130 years and where we can breathe in the scent of aging oak and discover the time-honoured methods used in the making of their award winning whisky. We also call at elegant Elgin, home to medieval cathedral ruins known as the ‘Lantern of the North’. Finally, we spend a day in the handsome Highland capital of Inverness.