Murray Park

Murray Park sits just outside Alford in Aberdeenshire, a proper slice of Scottish countryside that punches well above its weight. It's a nature reserve where you can actually walk without being herded along a marked trail like sheep - the paths meander through woodland and open ground in a way that feels genuinely exploratory rather than theme-park-ified.

The reserve is brilliant for families who want their kids to burn some energy without the hassle of a major attraction. Give yourself a good two hours to do it justice, though you could dash round in forty minutes if you're pressed. Birdwatchers will find genuine interest here; it's the sort of place where you might spot something worth noting rather than just pigeons and crows.

What you're looking at is mixed habitat - trees, clearings, the kind of landscape that changes enough every hundred yards to keep things interesting. It's not dramatic in the way mountains are, but there's something quite satisfying about the scale of it. Winter walks are solid; summer brings midges that'll have you swearing.

If you're based at Haughton Holiday Park just down the road, Murray Park makes an excellent half-day filler. Not the sort of place you'd plan a trip around, but if you're already in the area for a week, it's worth a morning. Free to access, no visitor centre nonsense - just you and whatever weather Aberdeenshire decides to throw at you that day.