General Sir Alexander Leith Memorial Cairn

High up in Aberdeenshire's moorland, a modest stone cairn commemorates General Sir Alexander Leith, one of Wellington's officers. It's not exactly Balmoral - just a weathered granite stack with a plaque, but it sits in genuinely wild country that rewards the walk getting there.

You're looking at military history without the museum crowds. Leith served under Wellington in the Peninsular Wars and later in North America, so this cairn marks a proper connection to 19th-century British military campaigns. The appeal isn't the cairn itself - stones are stones - but the landscape it commands. Rolling moorland in every direction, and on a clear day you get views that justify the trek from Strathdon.

Walkers will get the most from this. It's the kind of spot you'd combine with other moorland paths rather than visit alone - allow 90 minutes round trip depending on fitness and exact starting point. Families with young kids might find it underwhelming; there's not much to do once you've arrived and read the plaque. History enthusiasts and those chasing lesser-known Scottish monuments will absolutely rate it.

If you're staying at Cairngorms Glamping & Campsite just four miles away, it makes a sensible afternoon out. Free to visit, obviously - it's a cairn in the middle of nowhere. Go when the weather's settled; poor visibility makes the moorland bleaker than atmospheric, and the path can be boggy. Spring or early autumn work best.