Fordyce Joiners Workshop & Visitor Centre

The workshop sits in Banff, a proper working space where you can actually watch joiners craft furniture and fittings the old-fashioned way. It's not a museum where everything's behind glass - you're seeing active craftspeople at their benches, which changes the whole feel of the place. The visitor centre explains the trade's history in the region, but honestly, the real draw is watching the skill in action. Expect to spend 45 minutes to an hour here, depending on how chatty the staff are feeling.

It appeals most to anyone with even passing interest in traditional crafts or Scottish industrial heritage. Kids under ten might get restless unless there's something hands-on happening that day, but teenagers who've got any design or woodwork background will find it genuinely absorbing. The setting in the Aberdeenshire landscape gives it a grounded, authentic feel that contrasts nicely with the manufactured "heritage experience" vibe you get elsewhere.

If you're staying at Sandend Holidays or Portsoy Links - both solid caravan parks within a couple of miles - this makes an easy half-morning jaunt before heading to the coast. Banff itself has enough charm to justify a wander round the town afterwards. Check ahead for opening times and whether there's a charge, as details are thin on the ground, but the workshop's reputation locally suggests it's worth the small diversion if craftsmanship interests you at all.