Graveyard Watch House

A squat, stone tower standing guard over an 18th-century graveyard - that's the Graveyard Watch House near Montrose, and it's exactly as blunt and practical as it sounds. Built to deter grave robbers when body-snatching was a genuine problem, this small fortification is the sort of thing you stumble upon and think: right, that actually happened here.

The watch house itself is modest - you're not talking grand architecture or lengthy interior tours. It's the story that grabs you: armed men would shelter inside to protect the dead from resurrection men hunting for corpses to sell to medical schools. Dark stuff, genuinely. The surrounding graveyard has its own appeal if you're into old stones and faded inscriptions, though the real draw is understanding why something this unusual was ever necessary.

This works best for history types with a taste for the macabre, or anyone doing a deeper dive into Aberdeenshire's past. Kids might find the body-snatching tale interesting, but it's not a long visit - thirty minutes covers it. The site sits near St Cyrus Holiday Park, just 1.5 miles away, making it an easy addition to a wider park stay in the area.

It's free to look around and genuinely unique - not many places let you actually see the mechanics of how Victorians solved their grave-robbing problem. Worth the detour if you're in Montrose, but don't expect crowds or facilities.