Craigie Wood

The woodland paths through Craigie Wood deliver proper quiet - the kind you drive north to find. This Aberdeenshire forest sits just outside Ellon, and it's exactly the sort of place where an hour stretches into two without you noticing. The trails wind through mixed woodland with plenty of older trees, and on a clear day you get decent views across the surrounding countryside. It's low-key, which is precisely the point.

Walkers will find this rewarding. The terrain is straightforward enough for families with kids in tow, though there are enough ups and downs to keep things interesting if you're after a proper walk rather than a stroll. The forest floor can get boggy after rain - standard for this part of Scotland - so decent boots matter. Allow an hour minimum if you just want to potter about, two hours if you're walking with any intention.

There's no visitor centre or facilities to speak of, which is fine. It's free to access and open year-round, though winter can be muddy and midges in summer are no joke. If you're camping at nearby Ythan Valley Campsite, this is an easy add-on during your Aberdeenshire break - close enough for a quick escape without driving halfway across the region. The woodland doesn't have the dramatic appeal of some Scottish forests, but that's not really what it's trying to do. It's a working forest that happens to let people walk through it.