Memsie Round Cairn

You'll find this Bronze Age cairn sitting quietly on the Aberdeenshire coastline, a few miles inland from Fraserburgh. It's a proper prehistoric monument - a circular stone heap built thousands of years ago, the kind of thing that makes you stand and think about who put it there and why. The cairn itself isn't massive, but that's rather the point. It's genuine, unrestored, and utterly free to visit whenever you fancy.

Historically minded walkers will get the most from it. There's no visitor centre or interpretation boards, so you need to arrive with a bit of curiosity already switched on. Families with young kids might find it underwhelming if they're expecting dramatic ruins - it's a mound of stones, really - but it works brilliantly as a stop on a coastal walk or a detour if you're exploring the Aberdeenshire archaeology trail.

Allow twenty minutes unless you're the sort who sits and contemplates. The landscape around it tells you more than the monument itself does - this was a significant enough place for someone to build here in 2000 BC. If you're based at Down On The Farm or AC/DC Glamping nearby, it's worth the short drive. Pair it with a walk along the coast or a visit to nearby Fraserburgh for a proper morning out. It won't take long, but it'll stick with you more than you'd expect from a pile of stones.