Fluke Peel

The beach at Fluke Peel sits just south of Fraserburgh, a working fishing town that still smells authentically of the sea. You're looking at a stretch of proper Scottish coastline - grey sand, rock pools, and the kind of bracing wind that clears your head in about thirty seconds.

It's the sort of beach that appeals most to explorers rather than sunbathers. The rock pools here are genuinely good, especially at low tide when you can find starfish, sea urchins, and anemones without much effort. Kids will happily spend an hour turning over rocks and filling buckets. The beach connects to nearby Fraserburgh's more developed seafront, so you can easily combine a ramble here with fish and chips from town.

Don't come expecting pristine sand or a sheltered cove. Fluke Peel is windswept and honest, which is exactly why it works. The cliffs have a weathered, dramatic quality that photographs well on grey days - moody rather than postcard-pretty.

If you're staying at Down On The Farm just up the road, this makes an easy morning excursion before heading back for lunch. Allow an hour or two depending on tide times and how many rocks the children insist on investigating. Free to visit, obviously. Best tackled when the tide's out and you've got room to explore without getting hemmed in. The beach can feel exposed in gales, so check the weather forecast first.