The village of Braemar seems to appear from nowhere after driving through the Cairngorms, but this is why nearly a thousand years ago it commanded all the glens leading in and out of the area - Glenshee to the south, Aberdeen to the east, the Cairngorms to the north and Glen Tilt to the west. It was around this strategic bridgehead that the little village grew. In the heart of the village lie the ruins of the great castle of Kindrochit (The Head of the Bridge).

These days Braemar is home to a number of excellent cafe's and coffee shops, none more so than 'Taste', tucked away at the back of the village this small family run business boast's a vast selection of fantastic homemade cakes, which are well worth a quick pit-stop.

It's then onto the home straight, through Glenshee and Perthshire to the Forth.