Outdoors

Elyza Fraser, who was laird of the castle between 1792 and 1814, carried out many changes to the designed landscape, creating the agriculturally improved estate, fashionable leisure areas and attractive parkland that we see today.

Woodland garden

The woodland has separate areas of differing ages. The oldest part has huge old specimen trees of oak and sweet chestnut, with a small collection of shrubs and other woodlands plants that grow in the deep shade of the old trees. The newer section was created after a storm in 2002, when the estate lost over 1,000 trees. The woodland was planted to develop a collection of Rhododendron and other trees and shrubs of interest such as ornamental birches and evergreen trees such as Eucryphia and Ilex. The area is an echo, but not faithful recreation, of the Victorian shrubberies that would have existed in this location

The monkey puzzle trees are a feature of the inner policies, with the large old specimens dating back as far as 200 years.

Castle Fraser and the parkland grounds in spring. Daffodils grow in the foreground at the foot of a tall tree.

The estate comprises a designed late-18th-century landscape that was laid out by Thomas White, a landscape designer of some note who worked in conjunction with Capability Brown. Some original features survived the redesign, such as the Broad Walk of sycamore trees that frame the approach to the castle.

There are many older elements that can be seen in the wider estate, such as the Flight Pond on the Alton Brae trail. This pond was dug as a shooting pond for the provision of ducks and other game birds, and you can still see the old derelict shooting huts of corrugated iron. This is one of the few habitats in northern Scotland that supports the rare northern damselfly and azure damselfly, along with numerous other dragonfly species.

A view from the top of a castle tower, looking along a long beech avenue with surrounding parkland.

A shimmering pond on a sunny day, surrounded by woodland. Trees, the blue sky and white fluffy clouds are all reflected in the water.

Walks here

The flight pond at Castle Fraser showing the surrounding woodland and blue skies reflected in the water.

Alton Brae Trail (access to Flight Pond)

Difficulty: Easy – the path is unsurfaced with some slopes.
Distance: 1½ miles (2½km)
Facilities: Car park; café; shop; toilets

A clump of yellow daffodils grow beneath an old tree with a chunky trunk. Castle Fraser can be seen in the distance, across parkland.

Miss Bristow's Trail

Difficulty: Easy – the path is unsurfaced with some slopes.
Distance: 1¼ miles (2km)
Facilities: Car park; café; shop; toilets