Ruff Pastures

The moorland around Ruff Pastures rolls out in that particular way only the Aberdeenshire highlands manage - brown and gold and utterly empty when the light's right. It's a proper walking destination rather than a destination itself, if that makes sense. You're here for the landscape, the space, the way the hills fold into each other without a caravan park or gift shop in sight.

Braeside is the nearest settlement, though "settlement" might be generous. Most people using Ruff Pastures are walkers based at Deeside Holiday Park, just under four miles away - that's well positioned for a morning hike out here without too much faffing about with the car. The terrain suits anyone who doesn't mind boggy ground and doesn't expect signposting. Families with young kids will find it a slog; teenagers on the other hand often love the wildness of it.

There's no visitor centre, no café, no admission fee as far as I can tell. You show up, you walk, you enjoy the isolation. Allow a couple of hours minimum if you're properly exploring. The best time is late spring through early autumn when the weather's less likely to turn properly grim, though honestly the moody days have their own appeal.

If you're staying at Deeside, this breaks up a week nicely - close enough for a half-day excursion, different enough from a typical park holiday to feel like actual adventure.