Aberlour Parish Church

The church sits quietly on the main road through Aberlour, a modest Victorian building that doesn't immediately grab you from the pavement. Step inside and you'll find yourself in a proper highland kirk - all pale stone walls, wooden pews, and that particular smell of old hymn books and floor polish that takes you straight back generations.

It's worth a quick visit if you're passing through Keith on your way elsewhere, though it's not the sort of place you'd plan a morning around. The interior is straightforward and dignified rather than ornate - there's none of the fussy Victorian clutter you get in some churches. Local history types might appreciate the connection to the village's past, but this isn't a showstopper attraction.

The real charm is in the village itself. Aberlour's a pleasant enough spot on the Spey, known more for its whisky distillery than its church, if we're being honest. If you're based at Hillside Havens a few miles south, the church makes for a gentle leg-stretch walk into the village rather than a destination in itself.

No admission fee - just pull open the heavy wooden door and have a look. Allow fifteen minutes, twenty if you're the sort who reads every memorial plaque. Best visited during daylight, obviously. Combine it with a stroll along the riverbank or a dram at the distillery if you want to make a proper afternoon of Aberlour.