What's nearby

Balmoral Castle is right next door. The gallery sits in its car park, so the two go together easily. Grounds, gardens, the ballroom exhibition and the restaurant open from late March to early August. Daily, 10am to 5pm, last admission around 4. Book ahead in summer. Outside the main season the estate opens on selected days through autumn and winter, usually free, but check the dates first.

Crathie Kirk is the parish church, built in 1895. It's where the royal family worship when they're at Balmoral. The old kirkyard sits a five-minute walk away, along the road behind the gallery. That's where John Brown is buried. Queen Victoria's ghillie and close companion for thirty-odd years, born just up the road at Crathienaird in 1826. The headstone carries an inscription she chose herself. Worth the short walk.

Royal Lochnagar is about a mile off. One of the smallest working distilleries in Scotland, going since 1845, with tours that finish on a dram.

Hungry? Tarmachan does proper speciality coffee and seasonal cooking. The cinnamon buns have a following. It's only open a few days a week, so check before you turn up. Highland Bakehouse, also in Crathie, is the one for fresh bread, cakes and an Aberdeenshire buttery if you've never had one.

And if you fancy a sauna after all that, Stravaig Saunas run wood-fired sessions in Royal Deeside.

Ballater is eight miles east. Nearest village of any size, with shops, cafés and the old royal station. A good base for the whole stretch.

Where to stay nearby

You don't have to go far. Faunoran House is right here in Crathie, a short walk from the gallery. It's a big house built for groups, five en-suite bedrooms over three floors, with private grounds among the silver birch and Balmoral just down the road. Good for a family gathering or a few couples sharing.

A little further out, Gairnshiel Lodge sits on the estate next to Balmoral, a former hunting lodge done up for exclusive use with nine bedrooms, a sauna and a hot tub. The same people run four smaller cottages on the estate too, sleeping anywhere from four to ten, so there's a fit whether you're two or twenty.

In Ballater, eight miles east, Darroch Learg is the pick if you'd rather a hotel. The Franks family have run it since 1961. Ten rooms, lovely views over the river and hills, and a conservatory restaurant that takes its food seriously.

Then there's Glen Dye Cabins & Cottages, off towards Banchory on a 15,000-acre estate. Ten places to stay, from a romantic bolthole for two up to a cottage that sleeps twelve, plus an Adventure Centre and a seasonal restaurant on site.

And if you're happy to base yourself a bit further down the valley, Glen Tanar near Aboyne is worth a look. A 25,000-acre estate with a handful of self-catering cottages, several of them listed buildings, sleeping two up to eleven. Plenty of room to roam without leaving the gate.