7 (Sphinx) Commando Battery Royal Artillery Memorial

You'll find this modest but affecting memorial tucked into the Aberdeenshire landscape just outside Arbroath - a bronze sphinx guarding the memory of men who trained here during the Second World War. The Sphinx Commando Battery Royal Artillery Memorial marks the spot where Canadian and British troops prepared for operations that would shape the course of the conflict. It's not flashy. Just a statue, some plaques, and the weight of history.

The memorial itself is genuinely moving if you take time to read the inscriptions. Walkers and military history enthusiasts will find it worth the detour, though it's not the sort of place where you'll spend hours. You can park nearby and walk straight to it - allow maybe twenty minutes to properly take in what happened here. There's something about standing at a training ground, thinking about the thousands of young men who drilled and prepared on this very ground knowing what lay ahead.

If you're staying at The Grange Glamping just down the road, this pairs well with a broader exploration of Aberdeenshire's wartime heritage and the coastal towns nearby. Arbroath itself has the abbey and the harbour, so you could easily make an afternoon of it. The memorial is free to visit and accessible year-round, though winter can be bleak and muddy underfoot. Go when the weather's reasonable if you want to linger.