Jock O Bennachie Steen

The granite monument sits on top of Bennachie, a proper Highland sentinel that you can spot from miles around Inverurie. It's not a gallery in the traditional sense - more a hilltop installation that marks the summit at 1,167 metres. Local legend has it that this steen (stone) was erected to commemorate Jock, a figure from the area's past, though the details are hazy enough that it's become as much folklore as fact.

The real draw is the walk. Getting up there from the Bennachie car park takes about an hour depending on your fitness, and the views across Aberdeenshire are genuinely worth the effort. On a clear day you're looking out over farmland, forestry, and towards the Cairngorms. The monument itself is modest - you won't be spending hours there - but it's the kind of thing that makes sense once you've done the legwork to reach it.

Families with older kids who don't mind a decent hike will find it rewarding. Younger children might grumble; it's steep in places. The whole experience, monument included, is a solid half-day outing when you're staying at somewhere like Hillhead Caravan Park just down the road in Inverurie. Free to visit, no facilities on the summit, so bring water. Best tackled outside winter months when the path's clearer and the light's better for those views.