Braemar

Many thanks to The Mulvey's for facilitating this camera's location and to Aberdeenshire Council for capitally funding its installation in partnership with The River Dee Trust & Dee District Salmon Fishery Board. Braemar, situated at an elevation of 339 meters (1,112 ft), is the nearest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee. The Gaelic term "Bràigh Mhàrr" accurately refers to the upper Marr area, which is the region of Marr located to the west of Aboyne. The village itself is known as Castleton of Braemar (Baile a' Chaisteil in Scottish Gaelic), while it was previously referred to as Cinn Drochaid, meaning "bridge end." The term Baile a' Chaisteil specifically denoted the eastern bank of the river, while the western bank was called Ach an Droighinn, meaning "thorn field."Braemar can be accessed from the south via the A93 road from Glen Clunie and the Cairnwell Pass, as well as from the east via the A93 road from Deeside. Additionally, Braemar can be reached on foot from the west through Glen Tilt, Glen Feshie, Glen Dee (via the Lairig Ghru), and Glen Derry (via the Lairig an Laoigh). The village is conveniently located within a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Aberdeen, Dundee, and Perth.Overlooking the village, Carn na Drochaide (818 m) can be found to the northwest, Creag Choinneach (538 m) to the northeast, Carn na Sgliat (690 m) to the southwest, and Morrone (859 m) to the southwest. Braemar, like much of the United Kingdom, experiences an oceanic climate, although it tends to be slightly cooler compared to lowland areas, bordering on a subpolar oceanic climate. With an annual mean temperature of 6.8 °C (44.2 °F), Braemar is the third-coldest low-lying place in the UK, after Dalwhinnie and Leadhills. It has been recorded twice in the UK weather records for its low temperature, reaching −27.2 °C (−17.0 °F) on 11 February 1895 and again on 10 January 1982. Altnaharra, located in the Scottish Highlands, shares this record.Braemar experiences an average of 102 days of air frost and 153 days with rainfall exceeding 1 mm. During winter and early spring, snowfall can be heavy, often accumulating to depths of 30 cm (12 in) or more. On 9 February 2021, weather watcher Chris Booth recorded a snowfall of 70 cm (28 in). On 30 September 2015, Braemar witnessed one of the largest diurnal temperature ranges in the UK, setting both the warmest and coldest temperatures for September 2015. The maximum temperature reached 24.0 °C (75.2 °F), while the minimum temperature dropped to −1.3 °C (29.7 °F). The following day, Braemar once again held the record for the UK's warmest and coldest temperatures. The minimum temperature was −2.0 °C (28.4 °F), and a new October record for Braemar was set at 22.7 °C (72.9 °F). In November, Braemar achieved a new temperature record with 17.7 °C (63.9 °F) on 2 November 2015. On 11 February 2021, Braemar made national news when a temperature of −23.0 °C (−9.4 °F) was recorded, marking the lowest February temperature since 1955 and the UK's coldest night since 30 December 1995.The Braemar Gathering, colloquially known as "The Games," originated from gatherings believed to have been held by Malcolm III. This annual Highland games gathering takes place on the first Saturday in September and is a long-standing tradition attended by the British royal family. In 1746, the Act of Proscription halted all clan gatherings, but they resumed after the act was repealed in 1782. The Braemar Highland Society was established in 1815 and officially constituted in 1817. The first modern-day games occurred in 1832, with cash prizes awarded to competitors using the society's funds. On 14 September 1848, Queen Victoria attended the Gathering at Invercauld. In 1866, the society adopted the name "Royal" and, in 1906, received a generous donation of 12 acres (5 hectares) of Mar Estate from the Duke of Fife. The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park, which is the current venue for the Braemar Gathering, was established. Since Queen Victoria's time, the reigning monarch has served as the patron of the Braemar Royal Highland Society.