Craigston Castle

A fortified tower house that's been standing on the Aberdeenshire landscape since the 1600s, Craigston Castle cuts an imposing figure near Turriff. You're looking at a proper Z-plan castle - two round towers connected by a main block - the sort of defensive design that made sense when livestock raids and clan feuds were genuine concerns. The stonework is substantial and weathered, the kind that commands respect even from a distance.

The castle remains privately owned, which means access can be limited depending on the owners' schedule. It's worth phoning ahead or checking locally in Turriff before making the trip. When you can visit, the architecture tells the story of Scottish lairdship better than any museum placard - the narrow windows, the corbelled turrets, the sheer bulk of it all speaks to a time when a landowner's home had to be a fortress first and a residence second.

Historically minded visitors will get far more from this than casual tourists. If you're doing a castle-hopping circuit through Aberdeenshire, Craigston slots in neatly, though it's not the polished visitor experience of better-known fortifications. The location itself is pleasant rather than dramatic - rolling farmland rather than Highland peaks.

If you're camped at Greenwood Loch, Shepherd's Loch, or any of the Turriff-area parks, Craigston is a short drive away and worth a detour if you've got an interest in Scottish domestic architecture. Allow perhaps 30 minutes for photographs and a circuit of the grounds, assuming you can access them.