Scotland is a country which offers travelers, tourists, holiday makers or whatever term you want to use, an abundance of wonderful places to visit. Some places are better known and more  popular than others and as result attract all the attention.

The five not so well known Scottish places, which  I have listed are maybe not well known, but they are all fantastic places, which are worthy of your attention, effort and time.

Nigg Bay & The Balnagask Headland: Aberdeen, a 2.5km walk around Aberdeen’s Balnagask headland gives an insight into the processes that formed the coastal landscape. With breathtaking views, the area is also abundant in a variety of wildlife.

You will take in spectacular views of Aberdeen harbour, lighthouses, an old fort, and rugged coastline, a pretty shingle beach and much more. At the Balnagask end there is a nice wee pub overlooking the harbour, waiting for you to quench your thirst.

Burn O ‘Vat: Near Dinnet, Aberdeenshire, Situated on low-lying ground, Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve (NNR) consists of extensive Birchwood, wetlands and heather moor. In its centre are two large lochs, Davan and Kinord, which provide a winter home for thousands of geese. To the west, you can find the hidden Vat, a spectacular geological feature famed for concealing the 18th Century outlaw, Gilderoy Macgregor.

There are many fine circular walks through the NNR, passing by such features as abandoned settlements and an ancient Celtic cross. There is an excellent visitor centre at the Burn O’Vat, to help you make the most of your visit.

Craigievar Castle: 6 miles south of Alford. This is an almost fairytale like looking castle which exemplifies Scottish baronial architecture. This great tower stands much like it did when it was built in 1626 by William Forbes.

Craigievar Castle is one of the best preserved tower houses in Scotland and is a great castle to visit and to take the tour of.

Cruden Bay Beach: Cruden Bay, a beautiful 2 mile arc of pink sands that form the bay of Cruden. Access to the superb beach is via a white wooden foot bridge, across the water of Cruden.

There is so much more to Cruden Bay than just the beach, it is a pretty enough village, with a golf course ranked in the top 100 in the world, the internationally know castle Slains Castle, which provided Bram Stoker with the inspiration to write Dracula is a short distance away.

Loch Muick: Lochnagar, This is a very popular walk round Loch Muick, in the shadow of Lochnagar. It is in an area where it is quite common to see large wild red deer.

Most of the walk is on fairly flat ground and part of it may be suitable for the disabled.It follows a route close to the Loch side with good views of the hills all around. After reaching a royal lodge there is a short wooded section. The walk then continues round the western end of the loch and goes past a sandy beach and a cascading stream, before rising slightly on the south-eastern side as it makes its way back to the start.

For those of you that are visiting Scotland and in particular using the Granite City Aberdeen as a holiday base, each of these great places are within about an hour’s drive of Aberdeen.  For those of you thinking about or are heading to Aberdeen, here is my must read article,  Aberdeen, Why Not Visit the Granite City?

I don’t think any country in the world can match Scotland for natural beauty, history and unpredictable weather, but for the truly adventurous that is one of the joys of travel.