About us

Stretching across 25,000 acres of Caledonian pine forests, heather-clad hills and fertile farmland, Glen Tanar Estate is situated in Royal Deeside. Home to Scotland’s most easterly Munro, Mount Keen, as well as the tumbling Water of Tanar and the River Dee, Glen Tanar is in the east of the Cairngorms National Park and includes a large National Nature Reserve.

The estate was formed in 1865 when a merchant banker and MP from Manchester, Sir William Cunliffe Brooks, bought the land from the Marquis of Huntly. Brooks made many changes to the glen: he built houses and bridges, the Tower of Ess, the Victorian Ballroom and the landscaped gardens, all of which still stand proud to this day.

In 1905, Glen Tanar was bought by George Coats, who later became Lord Glentanar. The present owners, Michael and Claire Bruce, are the fourth generation of the family to own and look after the estate. Today they manage a thriving and award-winning working estate, which comprises forestry, farming and conservation, as well as holiday cottages, outdoor pursuits and a nationally recognised Victorian Ballroom wedding venue.