Kirk Wood

Kirk Wood is a proper working forest just outside Banff, the sort of place locals slip into for a quiet walk rather than somewhere you'll find queues or gift shops. It's a mix of native woodland and plantation - nothing fancy, just tall trees, forest floor, and the sound of actual silence if you time it right. You're walking through a genuine working landscape here, not a manicured attraction, which means it feels real.

The woodland trails wind through decent-sized conifers and broadleaf trees, and it's the kind of spot that's brilliant for stretching your legs between the Banff coast and heading inland. The paths are straightforward enough for families with older kids, though younger ones might find an hour about the limit before restlessness sets in. Dog walkers clearly love it - you'll see well-trodden routes where locals have been taking their spaniels for decades.

There's no entrance fee or visitor centre nonsense. Just turn up and walk. It's free, it's open whenever, and there's no faffing about. Autumn's genuinely nice here when the light filters through, and it's never rammed like the honeypot spots further south.

If you're staying at Portsoy Links or Sandend Holidays nearby, Kirk Wood works as a proper leg-stretch between beach time and supper rather than a destination in itself. It fits into a day around Banff's coastal walks perfectly well, though on its own it's not worth a special trip. Useful rather than unmissable.