Ian Johnston Park

The walk into Ian Johnston Park takes you through proper Aberdeenshire woodland - the kind of place where you actually notice when you've left the car park behind. It's a nature reserve that doesn't announce itself loudly, which is rather the point. You get woodland trails, open grassland, and if you time it right, decent birdwatching opportunities. The paths are manageable without being a serious hike, so families with younger kids won't spend the whole visit complaining about their legs.

Walkers and nature enthusiasts will find this genuinely worthwhile. The trails loop through different habitats - there's something about moving between tree cover and open space that keeps things interesting. It's the kind of place you could spend two hours in without feeling rushed, or knock it over in 45 minutes if you're just after a quick leg-stretch between other things.

Buckie's your nearest proper town, though honestly you're already in quieter territory when you're here. If you're basing yourself at Greencraig Pods just a couple of miles away, this makes a straightforward morning outing. The reserve sits well within that Highland circuit where you're moving between lochs and glens - it's a different scale of walking than the big dramatic hills, but that's not a weakness.

Free to access and no faffing about with opening hours makes it refreshingly straightforward. Go when the light's decent rather than mid-afternoon if you want decent photos.