Whale’s Mouth

The cave mouth yawns open like something from a fairy tale, dark and dramatic against the Aberdeenshire coastline near Banff. Whale's Mouth is exactly what it sounds like - a massive sea cave with an entrance shaped uncannily like a whale's gaping jaw. You can walk right up to it and peer inside, though the actual interior is fairly modest once you get past that theatrical entrance.

It's free to visit and takes maybe twenty minutes if you're just having a look, longer if you're the type to sit about with a flask and contemplate your life choices. The real appeal is the walk itself - the coastal path around here is genuinely good, with proper views across the water and interesting rock formations. Low tide gives you better access to the cave mouth, so plan accordingly if you're serious about getting close.

Families will find it diverting enough, though younger kids might want more to do than simply gawk at a cave. History enthusiasts won't find much - it's geology, not archaeology. Keen walkers will appreciate it as part of a longer coastal route rather than a destination in itself.

If you're based at Sandend Holidays or Greencraig Pods - both excellent caravan parks within five miles - this makes a decent morning out combined with a walk towards Portsoy. The Banff coastline has enough to keep you occupied for a day, but Whale's Mouth alone? It's the appetiser, not the main course.