Hatton Castle

A few miles south of Turriff, Hatton Castle sits quietly on its mound, not much to look at from the road but genuinely worth the short walk if you're staying nearby. What you get is a proper medieval fortress - or rather, what's left of one - with the kind of weathered stone walls that actually make you think about who built this thing and why they bothered with such a remote corner of Aberdeenshire.

The site itself is fairly compact, so don't expect to spend hours here. But if you're into castles, even modest ones, there's something rather satisfying about standing on the mound and seeing how defensible the position was. The views across the surrounding countryside are decent enough, and on a clear day you can spot quite a bit of the landscape around Turriff.

Historically-minded visitors will get the most from it - families with young children might find it a bit of a letdown unless they're genuinely fascinated by old stones. It's free to access, and you can wander around the grounds without needing to book or pay anything. Allow maybe 20 to 30 minutes depending on how long you fancy lingering.

If you're based at Turriff Caravan Park, this makes for an easy morning ramble that doesn't require much planning. Just check the ground conditions after rain - the mound can get boggy. Pair it with a proper walk elsewhere in Aberdeenshire rather than banking on it as a full day out.