Gordon's of Knockespock Memorial

Out on the moorland near Clatt, there's a modest stone cairn that marks where Gordon of Knockespock fell during the 1745 Rising. It's not much to look at - just a granite monument standing alone in the heather - but it carries real weight if you know the story. This was Jacobite country, and the Gordons were deep in it.

The memorial sits in proper wild Aberdeenshire terrain, the sort of landscape that feels unchanged since the 18th century. There's no visitor centre, no café, no infrastructure at all, really. You park up nearby and walk out to it across open moorland. The journey matters more than the destination here - you get a genuine sense of how isolated this part of Scotland was, and how desperate things must have been for the Rising's supporters.

History buffs will find it genuinely moving, especially if you've read up on the regional Jacobite story beforehand. It's not a day-trip attraction on its own, though. Better approached as part of a wider walk or if you're already exploring Aberdeenshire's heritage sites. The walk itself takes maybe 20-30 minutes each way depending on the route you take.

If you're staying at Haughton Holiday Park just down the way, this makes a proper good morning excursion. The weather can be bracing even in summer, so come prepared. Free to visit, obviously. Bring a decent map - mobile signal's patchy out there.