Lodgehill Plantation

The forestry around Lodgehill Plantation offers proper walking territory just outside Banff, where the trees give you shelter from the Highland wind and the paths wind through decent woodland without being too demanding. It's the sort of place where you can spend an hour or three depending on your mood - locals know it well enough, but it doesn't get the foot traffic of bigger attractions further inland. The plantation itself is working forest rather than a manicured estate, so you get the sense of something real and working rather than something designed purely for visitors.

Walkers will find the most value here. If you've got kids old enough to manage forest paths without needing constant entertainment, they'll do fine exploring. For younger ones, it might feel a bit same-y after the first twenty minutes. There's no visitor centre or facilities that I'm aware of, so bring what you need. The real appeal is the space and quietness - a chance to breathe properly away from the coast if you're basing yourself at one of the nearby caravan parks like Portsoy Links or Whitehills.

The nearest town, Banff, sits just a few miles south, so you're well positioned if you want to combine woodland walking with coastal exploring. It slots naturally into a week of park holidays along this stretch of Aberdeenshire coast. Access looks straightforward enough, though you'll want to check locally for any seasonal restrictions or parking arrangements before heading out.