Castle Menzies

The drive up to Castle Menzies from Aberfeldy takes you through proper Highland scenery - rolling hills, old stone walls, the works. Once you're here, you're looking at a sixteenth-century Z-plan castle that's been in the same family for nearly five hundred years, which is the sort of thing that stops you dead when you think about it.

Inside, it's genuinely atmospheric without being cloying about it. The rooms are furnished as they would have been, the stairs are narrow and steep (watch your head on the low doorways), and you get a real sense of how people actually lived rather than some sanitised version. The kitchens and servants' quarters tell you more about daily life than any guidebook could. Upstairs, the bedchambers are small and functional - comfort wasn't the priority back then.

This works best for history types and anyone keen on how Scottish lairds lived. Young kids might get restless after forty minutes unless they're properly into castles. Allow a couple of hours if you're taking your time with the rooms and the grounds.

It's worth ringing ahead to confirm opening times and admission before you drive out. The castle sits well as a half-day visit if you're based at one of the caravan parks around Aberfeldy - Aberfeldy Caravan Park is only 1.5 miles away, and you could easily combine it with a walk along the Tay or a pint in town afterwards. Glengoulandie Camping is a bit further out but still manageable for a day trip.