Loch Park looks quiet and peaceful on a chill April day. Fine art colour. Drummuir, Near Dufftown, Moray, Scotland

Drummuir (Scottish Gaelic: Druim Iubhair) is a small village in Scotland, in the traditional county of Banffshire, and in the Moray council area. It is between Dufftown (five miles), Keith (seven/eight miles) and Huntly (nine miles). Its old name was Botriphnie (Gaelic: Both Draighnigh), and this is the name still sometimes used for the parish. Drummuir comes from Druim Iubhair, Scottish Gaelic for "Yew Ridge"; the name Botriphnie, may come from Pictish origins and be a "Pit-" name, meaning "Thorn Farm". Drummuir's biggest building is "Drummuir Castle", a Strawberry Hill-type Gothic Victorian building, with extensive gardens. The castle was built by the Gordon-Duffs who are still the main landowners in the area. The Keith and Dufftown Railway runs by the village from a defunct distillery. It is rarely used now, but is still in good condition. A train is regularly run by the Keith and Dufftown railway association. Drummuir railway station once served the castle, local farms and dwellings whilst Drummuir Curlers' Platform was a private station once used by curlers on Loch Park. The River Isla which flows down to Keith through Strathisla, and Davidston Burn (or Davieburn), a small tributary of the Isla are the two main rivers in the area. Ben Rinnes is clearly visible to the west, and makes a strong visual impression. Loch Park was created in the nineteenth century as part of the landscaping of the Drummuir Castle estate; the track is muddy underfoot at times but does give beautiful views across the water. www.walkhighlands.co.uk/moray/drummuir.shtml and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drummuir

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