Castle Hillock, Motte and Bailey

There's not much left of Castle Hillock, to be honest - just an earthy mound rising from the Aberdeenshire landscape near Laurencekirk, with the ghost of medieval fortifications barely visible to the untrained eye. What you're looking at is a motte and bailey, that distinctly Norman design where a wooden fortress sat on a raised mound with a palisaded courtyard sprawling at its base. It's the bones of power from around the 12th century, when someone important wanted everyone to know they owned this stretch of the Scottish Highlands.

For archaeology types, this one scratches the itch - there's genuine historical weight here, even if the physical remains have weathered to humps and bumps. Kids will need proper enthusiasm from a parent to get anything from it; the interpretation isn't flashy, and an hour's poking about is realistic. History walkers doing a broader tour of the area will find it worth a diversion if you're heading through anyway, though it's not the sort of thing that justifies a special trip on its own.

It's free and accessible on foot, which counts in its favour. The real value comes if you're basing yourself at Dovecot Caravan Park or Royal Arch Riverside Park nearby - both solid options for a Highland break - and want to add some substance to your wandering. Pair it with other local sights and you've got something; visit in isolation and you might feel the effort wasn't quite worth it. Spring and autumn are best when you can actually see the earthworks without summer vegetation smothering everything.