Meigle Victory Park

The walk into Meigle Victory Park takes you through proper woodland, the kind where you can actually hear yourself think. It's a nature reserve just outside Blairgowrie in Aberdeenshire, and while it won't blow your mind with dramatic vistas, it's exactly the sort of place that rewards a couple of hours' poking about.

You're looking at woodland trails that meander through mixed trees, with occasional clearings where the light filters through nicely. Birdwatchers seem to get the most from it - there's genuine wildlife here, not the manicured park variety. Families with youngsters will find the paths manageable, though they're not paved or particularly fancy, so wellies are sensible if there's been rain.

Allow a good two hours if you're going to do it properly. The best approach is to treat it as a pit stop rather than a destination in itself - it sits well alongside a broader Aberdeenshire loop if you're staying at Nethercraig Holiday Park nearby. That's only five miles off, which makes it convenient for an afternoon sortie without driving half the county.

I'd go when the weather's decent and when you're not expecting drama. It's quiet, genuinely local, and the kind of place that feels forgotten in the best possible way. Worth the detour if you're in the area for a few days.