Pennan bay

The single-track road down to Pennan Bay feels like you're running out of Scotland altogether. It's a proper dramatic approach - the cliffs rise sheer on either side and suddenly you're at this tiny fishing village that looks like it's been dropped straight out of a 1950s postcard. The bay itself is the real draw: a horseshoe of dark sand backed by vertical granite cliffs that catch the light in ways that photographs never quite manage to capture. You'll recognise it immediately if you've seen Local Hero - the phone box wedged into the cliff face is still there, still painted red, still improbably functional.

It's best for walkers and photographers, really. The village itself is minute - a handful of cottages, a few boats pulled up on the beach - so you're not looking at a full day's entertainment. An hour or two, maybe longer if you're the type who wants to sit on the sand and just stare. The walk along the beach to explore the cliffs either side is well worth doing, and it's manageable even for reasonably fit kids, though the pebbles can be tough going.

You'll find the village free to wander, though there's nowhere to buy food or drink once you're down here, so bring supplies from Fraserburgh three miles back. The best time is probably late afternoon when the sun hits the western cliffs and the light goes gold. If you're camped at Gamrie Bay or AC/DC Glamping nearby, Pennan makes an excellent half-day excursion - dramatic enough to justify the detour, small enough that you won't feel you've missed anything by not lingering.