Leslie's Cross

A weathered stone cross stands alone on the Aberdeenshire landscape - Leslie's Cross, just outside Inverurie, has been marking this spot for centuries. It's the kind of thing you'd miss if you weren't looking for it, which is rather the point of visiting. Medieval stones like this one tell you far more about a place than any visitor centre ever could.

What you're looking at is a 14th-century monument, likely a way-marker or boundary stone from when this part of the Scottish Highlands was defined by such markers rather than maps. The cross itself is fairly modest - weathered granite, worn by rain and time - but that's precisely what makes it genuine. No restoration here, no interpretation boards. Just a reminder that people have been traveling through this corner of Aberdeenshire for seven centuries.

It's not the sort of attraction where you'll spend hours. Twenty minutes, perhaps, to find it, look at it, and get a sense of what it meant to locals passing through. History enthusiasts will appreciate it far more than families with young children - there's nothing here to interact with or climb on, and the countryside around Inverurie offers better playgrounds elsewhere.

No admission fee, naturally. No facilities either. Best visited on a clear day when you can actually see the wider landscape and imagine the routes people once traveled. If you're staying at Glamping Bothie or Hillhead Caravan Park nearby, it's worth a detour as part of exploring Aberdeenshire's quieter heritage spots.