Slugain Lodge

The ruins of Slugain Lodge sit quietly in the Aberdeenshire landscape, a few miles from Ballater, and they're genuinely worth seeking out if you're staying in the area. What remains is a substantial stone structure - enough to give you a real sense of what this 19th-century shooting lodge once was, though it's been left to the elements for decades now. You can walk around the exterior, peer through the empty windows, and let your imagination do the heavy lifting.

This is the sort of place that appeals to history buffs and walkers rather than families with restless young kids. There's nothing interactive about it, no interpretation boards, just a building slowly returning to the landscape. The approach involves a bit of a tramp across moorland, which some will find rewarding and others will find just annoying. Allow an hour if you're making a proper visit of it, half that if you're passing through.

If you're based at Braemar Caravan Park - a proper cracking spot, that one - Slugain Lodge makes for an interesting half-day detour. The walk itself is pleasant enough in decent weather, though the site's unmaintained status means you'll want sturdy boots and shouldn't expect any facilities. It's the sort of place that sticks with you partly because it's been left alone, not prettified or interpretive-centered. That's either exactly what you want or not worth the bother. I'd say it's worth the bother.