The best eating and drinking

For a short break that encompasses fine fresh food, tours of whisky distilleries and castles and exploration of some magnificent coastline, then Aberdeen is your destination. Use this stylish granite city as your base for exploring the history and culture of the surrounding area.

It is best to come to Aberdeen on an empty stomach, as this area is the larder of Scotland. The wild waters of the North Sea produce tons of fresh seafood and white fish, while from the surrounding farmland comes organically reared beef, lamb and pork, delicious soft fruits, organic oatmeal and plenty of fresh vegetables. The produce finds its way to the finest restaurants in England and Europe, but there is no better place to sample it than on home ground where the ingredients are at their freshest.

The city has become a magnet for some of the best chefs and you will find many award-winning restaurants, cafes and pubs - even the takeaways here seem to pride themselves on only serving up the best local ingredients, with fish and chips to die for. Come up in the car and you'll be able to pack it full of treats to take home - salmon bought directly from the smokers, aged Aberdeen Angus beef from farmers markets and shortbread from just about everywhere.

Whisky has been distilled in this area for more than 500 years, utilising the fresh spring water and miles of golden barley fields, and you will find more than half of Scotland's malt whisky distilleries in Speyside. Each distillery has its own traditions and recipes and all are open to visit where you can sample their distinctive offerings, learn about nosing and tasting or the complex art of blending. A short drive out of Aberdeen will get you on to Scotland's Malt Whisky trail, where you can discover seven working distilleries, an old cooperage and an historic distillery. It will take you from the smallest distillery Benromach to the world famous Glenfiddich taking in Glen Moray, Glenlivet, Glen Grant and Cardhu among others. You can buy bottles to take home, and relive the memories of your visit with each sip. The Speyside cooperage is where about 100,000 casks a year are repaired and you can watch the skilled coopers practicing their craft.

The area is also rich in history and is known as castle country, with every type of castle represented in Aberdeenshire, from desolate cliff-top ruins, to turreted extravagances via imposing battle fortresses. Many are situated with stunning backdrops of mountains or sea and each has its own story to tell of the turbulent history of the area. Within them you will find antiques, works of art or immaculately preserved stables, bakehouses, brewhouses and smithies. You can follow the signposted Castle Trail that links the ruins of Kildrummy, Tolquhon and Huntly with restored family castles such as Crathes, Fyvie, Drum, Craigievar, Delgatie, Corgarff and Castle Fraser, and stately homes such as Haddo, Leith Hall and Duff House.

The coast along this part of Scotland is exceptionally dramatic, with cliffs and windswept dunes, smugglers coves and deserted beaches. The coastal path from Aberdeen will take you to Findhorn in one direction or St Cyrus in the other, or you can drive the full stretch of the coast on your way to the malt whisky trail, taking in the changing seascape.

The discerning traveller will also find the area around Dundee has plenty to offer in the way of culture and cuisine. Dundee is now a bustling, vibrant city with many fine eateries and stylish bars. Just a short drive from the city is the picturesque village of Broughty Ferry, a seaside haven with its own castle, harbour and blue flag sandy beach. Here you will find exceptional delis, antique shops and eateries. Broughty Castle was completed in 1496 and fought over until it was offered for sale in 1821, with the suggestion that it would make a good situation for an inn. Today the castle is a museum, following the fortune of "The Ferry", as it is known to local residents, from its association with fisherfolk and day trippers (it was once known as "Little Brighton" of Scotland). It also tells the story of the importance of whaling to the region - oil from whales harpooned in the distant waters off Greenland and Canada having been used in the jute industry.

Also in the vicinity is Glamis Castle, the impressive stately home of the Earl of Strathmore and the childhood home of the late Queen Mother, it was also the setting Shakespeare chose for Macbeth. The building has long been the focus of legends and fairytales and there are often reported sightings of ghosts. The gardens are splendid and there is a nature trail along the Glamis Burn that is popular with kingfishers and dippers. In the Victorian kitchen restaurant you can sample local delicacies such as Arbroath Smokies, Forfar Bridies (minced beef filling, enveloped in shortcrust pastry), Strathmore Berries and Dundee Cake.

For more information, please visit the Aberdeen and Dundee areas of the website.