Alford is a large village 23 miles west of Aberdeen. The name comes from the Scots auld fort, and it is the home of the Aberdeen Angus cattle breed, which is celebrated by a life-size model of a bull on the edge of town. For a small place, there is a great deal to do here The Alford Valley Railway; Grampian Transport Museum; and the Alford Heritage Centre. Craigivar Castle is quite close this pink harled building is reputed to be the inspiration for the Walt Disney motif.Donside has a lower profile than neighbouring Deeside, but for cycling that shouldn’t influence you. Alford is one of the regions agricultural heartlands, which results in lots of rural roads and small villages. However, at the same time it’s a short distance to a very different face of Aberdeenshire with some high hills and beautiful, but exposed moorland on the doorstep.If you are arriving in Alford on a day trip by car, you’ll find parking in the centre of the village next to Grampian Transport Museum. The village is an important hub on our network, with a total of 7 bike rides which set out from Alford.