Muir of Dinnet Silver Jubilee Cairn

There's a modest cairn on Muir of Dinnet, just outside Aboyne, that marks the Silver Jubilee of 1977. It's the sort of thing you stumble upon while walking the moorland rather than plan a trip around, but that's precisely why it works. The cairn itself is straightforward - a pile of stones with a marker - but the surrounding landscape is what makes it worth your time. The moorland rolls out properly up here, and on a clear day you get real views across Aberdeenshire. It's free to visit and takes minutes to reach from the car park.

Walkers will get the most from this spot. You can combine the cairn with longer routes across Muir of Dinnet itself, which opens up the countryside properly. It's not a destination that'll occupy kids for hours, but it makes a decent waypoint on a half-day hike. The ground can be boggy depending on the season, so proper boots are wise.

If you're based at one of the nearby parks - Firbank Park and Ballater Caravan Park are both top-rated and less than five miles away - this is a straightforward morning or afternoon excursion. Tarland Camping & Caravanning Club Site sits close by too. Aboyne itself has decent facilities if you need a coffee beforehand. The cairn adds a bit of historical texture to what's otherwise a good stretch of walking country. Nothing fancy, but solid for anyone who enjoys moorland and doesn't need everything signposted.