Lookout Point

The view from Lookout Point near Aboyne stops you dead. On a clear day - and you'll need to pick your moment in the Highlands - you're looking across miles of rolling farmland and forest towards the distant Cairngorms. It's the kind of vista that makes you understand why people choose to base themselves in Aberdeenshire rather than rush through.

This is a straightforward spot. Park up, walk a few minutes, stand and stare. No visitor centre, no café, no interpretive boards explaining what you're seeing. Just you and the landscape. That's either exactly what you want or a bit underwhelming depending on your mood. For walkers tackling the broader trails around Deeside, it's a sensible stop-off. Families with young kids might manage ten minutes before someone asks what's for lunch.

The real strength is its practicality for caravan and camping holidays in the area. You're minutes from Tarland Camping & Caravanning Club Site and within easy striking distance of Firbank Park and Aboyne Loch Caravan Park - all properly rated spots. After a morning's walking or a wet afternoon, Lookout Point gives you a reason to get the car keys out for half an hour without committing to a full day trip. Go early or late in the day when the light's better and fewer people are hanging about. Midday on a summer weekend you might find it a bit rammed with day-trippers.