Braemar

For the former M/S Braemar, see M/S Regina Baltica. For the cruise ship, see Braemar (ship) For the Braemar Community in Virginia, see Braemar Community Association

Braemar (Scottish Gaelic, Baile a' Chaisteil Bhràigh Mhàrr) is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around 58 miles west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. It is the closest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee, and the unofficial capital of Royal Deeside.

Braemar holds an annual Highland Games Gathering on the first Saturday in September, traditionally attended by the British Royal Family. The town is overlooked by the hill called Morrone which stands just to the south and reaches a height of 859 metres.

The Gaelic Bràigh Mhàrr properly refers to the area of upper Marr (as it literally means), i.e. the area of Marr to the west of Aboyne, the village itself being Castleton of Braemar (Baile a' Chaisteal Bhràigh Mhàrr)

In the 1891 census, 59.2% of the population of Braemar spoke the Gaelic language "habitually", the percentage of those actually able to speak the language (despite not having must opportunity to) would have been somewhat higher. The small crofting township of Inverey (Inbhir Èidh) was 86.3% Gaelic-speaking, most non-speakers being originally from Lower Deeside. The Gaelic spoken in the Aberdeenshire Highlands shared most features in common with the Gaelic of Strathspey and East Perthshire. The last native-speaker of the local Gaelic dialect died in 1984, though there are still surviving native-speakers of the similar Strathspey dialect.

Catholicism has traditionally been strong in the Braemar area, and the bones of Saint Andrew rested in Braemar before being taken to the place now known as St Andrews. The Catholic church in Braemar is dedicated to Saint Andrew.

Braemar has twice recorded the lowest ever UK temperature of -27.2^oC, on February 11, 1895 and January 10, 1982 Met Office article.

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