Midmar Castle

The castle sits on a rise above the Dee Valley like something from a proper storybook - five storeys of granite that's weathered nearly five centuries without losing its swagger. Built in 1569, Midmar is one of those rare Scottish castles that actually looks lived-in rather than museum-dead, all turrets and crow-stepped gables doing their thing against the Aberdeenshire sky.

You can't get inside the main keep - it's still private - but the exterior is worth the drive from Banchory, especially if you're doing the castle circuit in these parts. There's something about approaching it on foot across the grounds that makes the architecture click into place. The Z-plan design, those chunky corner towers, the sense that whoever built it was saying something definite about power and permanence. History types will appreciate it; kids might get restless unless they're into climbing around old stonework and imagining siege tactics.

Allow an hour if you're making it a proper stop, less if you're just passing through. It costs nothing to nose around the exterior, though you'll want to check ahead for any seasonal access changes. The site sits comfortably between Silverbank Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite and Banchory Lodge Caravan Park - both five-star setups if you're basing yourself here for a week - so it works nicely as a half-morning detour when you're exploring the wider Dee Valley. Go when the light's decent; grey drizzle and granite aren't always a winning combination.