Old Montgarrie Playing Fields

The playing fields at Old Montgarrie are a proper slice of Aberdeenshire countryside - open grassland with a few scattered trees and the sort of wide sky you only get in the Highlands. It's not dramatic, but it's honest. There's a nature reserve element here, though the boundaries blur between managed sports ground and genuine wild space.

What you're actually doing is walking. The flat open ground means you can let kids run about without too much worry, and there's enough room to see them coming from a distance. On a clear day the visibility stretches far enough to make the effort of getting here feel worthwhile. The site itself is peaceful rather than busy - you won't find crowds even on weekends.

This works best as a stop-off rather than a destination in itself. If you're staying at Haughton Holiday Park just down the road, it's an easy leg-stretch before heading elsewhere. Bring wellies; the ground holds water after rain and can be boggy in patches. An hour is plenty unless you're genuinely keen on local flora and fauna identification. History buffs won't find much here - it's landscape rather than monument.

Best visited in late spring or early autumn when the weather's most reliable. The bleakness has its appeal in winter, but there's nothing to shelter under if the wind picks up.