Burghead Beach

The beach at Burghead is a proper working harbour masquerading as a nature spot. You've got the Moray Firth stretching out in front of you, grey-green water that changes mood with the light, and a decent stretch of sand that doesn't get rammed with tourists. The reserve itself is modest - a coastal strip where you might spot seals hauling out on the rocks if you're patient, or ospreys if you time it right during migration season. Waders pick through the shallows. It's not dramatic scenery, but it rewards slow looking.

The walk down from Forres takes you through farmland before you hit the coast proper. Allow an hour to get here, thirty minutes to wander the beach itself unless you're serious about birdwatching, in which case bring a scope and settle in. The thing about Burghead is it feels like a local's spot - fishermen actually work here, boats come and go - so it hasn't been prettified for visitors. Some people find that refreshing. Others might think it's a bit rough around the edges.

Families with young kids will get an hour's entertainment maximum before they want something else. Walkers and birders genuinely get something from it. The Loft Glamping sits just up the road, which makes this a natural morning or evening potter if you're based there for a park holiday. Go when the wind's not too fierce - the exposed headland gets hammered in gales.