Plash Mill

Walk along the Ericht Water near Blairgowrie and you'll stumble across the overgrown remains of Plash Mill - a watermill dating back centuries, now just stone foundations and scattered ruins breaking through the undergrowth. There's not much left to see, honestly, but that's rather the point. This is archaeology in the raw, the sort of place where you piece together what was here from a few dressed stones and the positioning of the old leat system that once channelled water to turn the wheel.

It's genuinely worth seeking out if you're the type who gets a kick out of industrial heritage and spotting the practical ingenuity of older craftsmen. Kids might find it underwhelming - there's no interpretation board, no gift shop, just the landscape doing the talking. History buffs and keen walkers, though, will appreciate the chance to explore something that hasn't been packaged up for mass consumption.

Allow 30 minutes to have a proper poke around, though the location is lovely enough that you could easily spend longer just sitting by the river. It's free to visit, and the walk from Blairgowrie to reach it takes you through some decent countryside. If you're staying at Corriefodly or Beech Hedge holiday parks nearby, this makes an easy afternoon detour - particularly on a damp day when the Tayside landscape feels properly atmospheric. The ruins themselves are accessible year-round, though winter floods might make the riverbank tricky underfoot.