James McBey

The James McBey house sits quietly in Ferryhill, a modest Victorian villa that tells the story of Scotland's most accomplished printmaker. McBey was phenomenally talented - a man who taught himself etching and went on to exhibit internationally and work for the War Office as an official artist. Walking through his home feels genuinely intimate. You're moving through the actual spaces where he worked, surrounded by his prints, sketches and the tools of his craft. It's the kind of place that rewards curiosity rather than demanding it. History enthusiasts will absolutely get something from this - McBey's technical skill was extraordinary, and there's real substance to understanding how he developed his practice. But it's also fairly specialist. Casual visitors might find an hour quite enough. The house isn't vast, and without deeper knowledge of printmaking or early 20th-century Scottish art, some of the technical detail can feel remote. Families with older children interested in art and craft will find it worthwhile. Young kids will likely get restless quickly. It's a straightforward detour when you're exploring Aberdeenshire - not far from Ferryhill town centre, and easily combined with a stay at either Seaview Caravan Park or Deeside Holiday Park if you're basing yourselves in the area. Both are properly rated and give you decent access to the region. Go if printmaking or Scottish art history genuinely appeals to you. Otherwise, keep it in the back pocket for a quiet afternoon rather than planning a trip around it.