Reform Tower

The Reform Tower stands on a headland just outside Peterhead, a granite monument that catches you off guard with its sudden appearance above the town. It's a Victorian structure built in the 1830s to commemorate the passing of the Great Reform Act, though honestly, most visitors won't know that until they're standing right in front of it. The tower itself is modest - not particularly tall, not dramatically sited - but the views across the North Sea and back towards the Aberdeenshire coast are genuinely worth stopping for.

You're mostly looking at an exterior visit here. There's no visitor centre, no signage to speak of, and access can be a bit hit-or-miss depending on the condition of the coastal paths. It's free to view, which is the only sensible way to charge for something this understated. Allow ten minutes if you're passing through, maybe half an hour if you fancy a proper wander around the headland and check out the fishermen's work below.

It suits history buffs more than casual tourists - the kind of person who actually cares about 19th-century political landmarks rather than someone just ticking off sights. Walkers doing the Buchan coastal paths will stumble on it naturally. If you're based at Peterhead Marina Bay Holiday Park just down the road, it's an easy leg-stretch, though don't expect drama or facilities. It's a proper Scottish historical curio: interesting if you're into that sort of thing, easy to miss if you're not.