Pink Craigievar Castle

The image was taken looking south onto Craigievar Castle. When you're at the castle, head northeast and then turn around so this view is directly in front of you. The castle is best reached by car and has its own car park. Craigievar Castle is off the A980 (6 miles south of Alford and 26 miles west of Aberdeen). Use the address below when inputting the destination into a sat-nav system or route planning sites. Please note the castle is not accessible via public transport as the nearest station is over 8 miles away. You also cannot walk there since the paths are too narrow. The grounds are open dusk till dawn, but check here for castle opening hours: https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/craigievar/planning-your-visit#opening-times Address: Craigievar Castle, Alford, Aberdeenshire, AB33 8JF

To capture the lush trees, visit in the spring and summer months.

You can find similar lighting conditions in the morning, midday and late afternoon.

If there’s a crowd of people outside when you get there, just wait and be patient for an empty frame. The people will most likely be waiting for a tour guide to take them into the castle and they'll pass by soon.

When the castle is open, there's no need to buy a ticket to go inside — unless you’re interested in learning about its history.

To show the scale of the castle, have a model in your shot. The magnificence of the building will be enhanced by the smallness of the model.

I centered myself right on the path for this composition, but feel free to move around and find your preferred angle.

Enjoy the guided tour and make sure to check out the shop in the castle.

You can bring a picnic along as it's welcomed on the grounds. You'll have beautiful views of the castle while you eat on the lawn.

If you want to see more castles, check out Castle Fraser, Drum Castle and Fyvie Castle which are all in the Aberdeen City and Shire.