John Morgan

The ruins of John Morgan's holdings sit quietly on the Aberdeenshire landscape near Seafield, a sobering reminder of how quickly fortunes can change. There isn't much left to see, truth be told - this is the sort of place where you need to know what you're looking at to find it worthwhile. If local history grabs you, though, there's something rather moving about standing where someone's life once centred.

You'll need to do some digging before you visit. Information about access times and admission isn't readily available, so ring ahead or check locally in Seafield. The site demands a bit of effort to reach and understand, which means you won't fight crowds of tour groups here.

Walkers exploring the wider Aberdeenshire area might stumble across this en route to bigger attractions. It works best as a waypoint rather than a destination in itself - perhaps a quiet stop during a longer ramble through the countryside. If you're staying at Deeside Holiday Park, just five miles south, it's worth asking staff there what they know about accessing the ruins and what period of history you'll be examining.

Bring an interest in Scottish heritage and realistic expectations about what remains. This isn't a fully preserved castle or visitor centre, but rather a genuine historical site where atmosphere counts for more than facilities. On a clear day with decent light, it has real charm.