Bracoden Swimming Pool

The outdoor pool at Bracoden sits just outside Banff, a proper old-fashioned Scottish swimming spot that still draws locals and holidaymakers through the summer months. It's an open-air facility - the kind where you'll be sharing the water with serious swimmers doing their lengths alongside families splashing about in the shallow end. The setting is no-frills: you get a pool, changing facilities, and views that remind you you're in the northeast Highlands rather than some Mediterranean resort.

This is genuinely useful if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks - Gamrie Bay is barely over a mile away, and both Clochforbie Yurts and Shepherd's Loch Glamping are within easy reach. If the weather plays ball (and that's a big if in Aberdeenshire), it's a decent afternoon out for families. Kids will be happy enough for a couple of hours, though don't expect heated water or fancy slides. Adults after a proper swim will appreciate the lanes.

The main thing to sort before you visit is checking current opening hours and whether it's still operating as it was - local pools this size can be hit and miss with seasonal closures. Ring ahead or check with Banff's tourist information. Entry is modest when open, and it's the sort of place that works best on a decent sunny day. If you're camping nearby and the rain's coming down, you might want something more sheltered. But on a good day, it's exactly what a holiday park visitor needs - local, unpretentious, and honest.