Bruxfin Wood

The woodland around Bruxfin feels properly rural - just south of Mintlaw in Aberdeenshire, it's the sort of place where you'll actually hear the forest rather than the traffic. There are decent paths threading through the trees here, nothing dramatic but solid for a proper walk when the weather's behaving.

This works best for people who want a straightforward woodland wander rather than a destination with views or facilities. Families with kids will find enough to keep them engaged for an hour or so - fallen logs to clamber over, the usual mix of birch and pine, and that satisfying smell of damp woodland floor. History types won't find much to get excited about, but if you're the sort who just needs trees and air, you'll get on fine here.

There's no visitor centre or café that I'm aware of, so come prepared. It's free access, which is always good. You're probably looking at one to two hours depending on how far you fancy pushing into the wood.

If you're camped at either Aden Caravan & Camping just four miles away or Peterhead Marina Bay Holiday Park a bit further out, Bruxfin Wood makes a solid morning activity before heading elsewhere. It's not the sort of place you'd build a day around, but it's there if you want a break from the caravan and actual trees around you rather than another tourist attraction. Just check the access locally first - woodland conditions change.