Saint Bride's Church

You'll find this modest stone church sitting quietly on the outskirts of Newtonmore, easy to miss if you're not paying attention. Saint Bride's Church is the sort of place that rewards a quick detour - a proper Highland parish church with that characteristic Scottish simplicity and a real sense of age about it.

The church itself is fairly straightforward inside, but that's rather the point. There's a genuine calm here, no fussiness, just solid stonework and local history. If you're into the bones of Scottish ecclesiastical architecture, you'll appreciate the details. For most visitors though, it's more about the peaceful five-minute wander than hours of study.

This works best tacked onto a broader walk around Newtonmore itself, or as part of a rambling day if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks. Invernahavon, just three miles away, makes an excellent base for exploring the Spey Valley and Cairngorms foothills. Laggan Glamping, if you fancy something a touch more upmarket, sits five and a half miles north and opens onto proper Highland walking country.

Go without expectations of something showy and you'll appreciate it for what it is - a genuine piece of the local fabric. Twenty minutes here, tops, but it's the sort of thing that makes a Highland holiday feel less touristy and more real. Free to visit, naturally. Best on a clear day when the light comes through properly, though the Highland weather being what it is, that's not always guaranteed.