Benholm Parish Church

The drive through rural Aberdeenshire takes you past rolling farmland before Benholm Parish Church appears - a modest stone structure that's been watching over this corner of Scotland since medieval times. It's the kind of place you'd miss if you weren't looking for it, tucked away near Montrose where the landscape flattens toward the coast.

Inside, there's genuine character. The church has retained much of its original fabric, with worn stone walls and a simple interior that speaks to centuries of local worship rather than grand flourishes. The graveyard surrounding it tells its own story - weathered headstones dating back generations, the sort of place where you can spend a quiet hour reading inscriptions and imagining the lives behind the names.

It's worth a stop if you're the type who enjoys church architecture and local history, but don't expect a lengthy visit - thirty minutes is realistic unless you're particularly keen on rubbings or gravestone research. Families with young children might find it a bit slow unless they're already into that sort of thing.

The real value here is as part of a wider exploration of Aberdeenshire's rural heritage. Staying at nearby St Cyrus Holiday Park gives you a proper base for visiting places like this without them feeling like detours. You can combine it with coastal walks at St Cyrus beach itself, which is far more compelling for most visitors. The church works best as a quiet interlude rather than a main event.