Montrose Beach

Three miles of sand and shingle stretching along the Aberdeenshire coast - Montrose Beach is the kind of place where you can actually breathe. I spent a morning here watching the tide come in across a proper wide bay, with the North Sea doing its thing and barely another soul about, even in summer.

It's an excellent spot if you're after a straightforward seaside walk. The beach itself is backed by a coastal path that connects with the wider area, so you can easily spend two or three hours wandering the shoreline without feeling rushed. Swimming is feasible when the weather cooperates, though the water's cold enough to make you think twice. More realistic use is a family stroll, some rock pooling at the right tide, or just sitting with a flask and watching the light change across the water.

The nearest town is Montrose itself, which sits right there on the coast, so parking and access are genuinely straightforward - none of that hunting around for spaces business. If you're staying at St Cyrus Holiday Park just down the way, it's practically on your doorstep. The Grange Glamping offers a slightly more upmarket base a bit further out.

Winter visits can be dramatic if the wind's up. Summer's gentler, though expect midges inland once you've finished. The beach works well as part of a broader Aberdeenshire coastal loop rather than a destination in itself - it's honest work, with no pretence, which is rather the point.