From Aberdeen Angus to whisky, savour the flavour of north-east Scotland

British breaks: Aberdeenshire

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What's on

The Scottish Food & Drink fortnight is taking place until 20 September. Events in Aberdeenshire include the Cairnton Aberdeen Angus Supper on 11 September at the Deeside Activity Park, Dess (scottishfoodand drinkfornight.co.uk). Among other entertainments, guests select their own size and cut of steak at the on-site restaurant.

Visit the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses at Fraserburgh (lighthouse museum.org.uk) on 19 September and you get in free as part of the Doors Open Days across Scotland. The museum is housed in the first lighthouse built on mainland Scotland and inside you'll learn about lighting technology and be entertained by lighthouse stories.

Enjoy a wee dram and more at the Speyside Whisky Festival from 25-28 September. Events around Dufftown range from tastings to whisky tours on the Keith & Dufftown Railway (spiritofspeyside.com).

Celebrate the autumn equinox at 6.45am on 22 September by seeing the sunrise at the Red Well in Whitehills near Banff. A special guided walk then takes place around the village as part of September's Scottish Archaeology Month (aberdeen shire.gov.uk).

Join a guided fungus foray at Crathes Castle (nts.org.uk). At 10.30am on 20 and 30 September, rangers take visitors on walks around the grounds, during which you identify mushrooms, toadstools and more.

See the sights

Take a trail of tower and turrets. Aberdeenshire offers a wonderful range of picturebook castles, from ruins to stately homes. You can follow a dedicated castle trail across the county: look out for the distinctive blue and white logo (aberdeen-grampian.com) which leads to 13 of these architectural gems.

Get interactive at Satrosphere in Aberdeen, Scotland's first science and discovery centre (satrosphere.net). Here you'll find more than 50 hands-on exhibits, while a special Walking with Beasts exhibition about woolly mammoths and more continues until 30 September.

Savour a flavour of Aberdeenshire at Dean's of Huntly (deans.co.uk). The shortbread makers welcome visitors to their viewing gallery and café. Also in Huntly is James Rizza (rizza.co.uk), family ice-cream makers here since 1914.

This month also brings the opening, in Aberdeen, of an exciting new retail complex in the heart of the city. Union Square (unionsquareaberdeen.com) is a regeneration project offering shopping, dining and entertainment.

Further information

For more details and ideas go to: visitscotland.com/autumn