Drumoak and Durris are two small villages, one on each side of the River Dee, approximately 5 miles beyond Peterculter. Durris is the more rural of the two, spread over a number of small settlements south of the river, while Drumoak is more compact and has been the centre of recent development. Both villages have their own primary schools, with secondary education being provided by Banchory Academy, and they are on the ISA bus route.

Maryculter (or rather, 'Kirkton of Maryculter'), is a village south of the River Dee, 5 miles (8 km) south west of Aberdeen. It is the location of the highly acclaimed Maryculter House Hotel.

The small town of Banchory lies 19 miles south-west of Aberdeen along the North Deeside Road, about 30 minutes drive from Aberdeen. There is a wide range of properties available, from Victorian to 21st century, in a variety of different sizes and styles. The town provides a good range of local shops and a supermarket, plus fine dining at local restaurants and nearby hotels. Banchory has a primary and a secondary school, and is on the bus route for the International School at Milltimber.

The town of Aboyne lies approximately 30 miles south-west of Aberdeen in the heart of Royal Deeside, an area renowned for its unspoilt beauty. There are a variety of house types in and around the region with local amenities serving the population of just over 2000.