Benview Lodges - Fun Days Out

Dunnottar Castle is a ruined medieval fortress on a rocky headland on Scotland's north-east coast, just south of Stonehaven. Steep cliffs drop 160 feet to the North Sea, and a narrow strip of land leads up to the gatehouse. The ruins include a 14th-century tower house and a 16th-century palace, and the views make it a favourite with photographers.

It's best known as the place where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's army in the 1600s. William Wallace and Mary, Queen of Scots are also linked to the castle. There are picnic seats and a refreshments van on site. It's a good day out for friends, families and history fans.

Tip: Check the weather before you set off, as the castle may close in bad conditions. Parking is available on site.

Castle Fraser is a large, five-storey Z-plan castle near Kemnay in Aberdeenshire, considered one of the grandest of the 'Castles of Mar'. Building began in 1575 and finished in 1636, and it is a Category A listed building. Inside, it still has the atmosphere of a family home, with the original contents including Fraser family portraits, furniture and collections. The rooms range from the medieval stone-vaulted Great Hall to the Regency Dining Room, and the Library is a fine example of John Smith's regency style.

Outside, the castle stands in over 300 acres of landscaped grounds, woodland and farmland. There is a 19th-century walled kitchen garden and an impressive octagonal stable block, and the twin gatehouses still stand. It makes a good day for anyone interested in Scottish castles and their history. The castle also featured as a backdrop in some scenes of the 2006 film The Queen.

The Maiden Stone is a Pictish cross-slab near Inverurie, cared for by Historic Environment Scotland. Made from pinkish granite, it stands about three metres tall and is counted among the finest examples of Pictish stonework. One face shows a figure between two sea monsters, possibly Jonah and the whales, above a ring-headed cross and ornate knotwork. The other side is split into four panels, with a centaur, a Pictish beast, a mirror and a comb.

The stone also comes with a good story. Local legend says the laird of Balquhain's daughter bet a stranger she could bake bread before he built a road up Bennachie. The stranger was the Devil, and she was turned to stone as she fled. It's a quick, atmospheric stop for history fans, families who like a tale and anyone curious about the Picts.

Tip: Look for the notch near the top, said in the legend to be where the Devil grabbed the maiden, and pair it with the Brandsbutt Symbol Stone, also near Inverurie.

Drum Castle is one of Scotland's oldest tower houses, given to the Irvine family by Robert the Bruce in 1323 and later extended with a Jacobean mansion and Victorian additions. Inside, you can see the medieval grand hall, the Victorian library with around 4,000 books, and the chapel built in the 1500s. Entry to the castle is by guided tour.

Outside, the walled garden is divided into quadrants showing how roses have been grown from the 17th to the 20th century. The Old Wood of Drum holds the last remnants of an ancient oak forest and is home to red kites, roe deer, red squirrels and badgers. There's also the Little Oaks play area, a tearoom and a shop, so it suits history fans, nature lovers and families.

Tip: Castle entry is by guided tour, and the tower has been closed for repairs, so check the National Trust for Scotland's Drum Castle page before you set off.

Aberdeen Art Gallery is housed in a neo-classical building designed by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie. Its collection spans 700 years, with work by local, national and international artists, designers and makers. Highlights include Joan Eardley, the Scottish Colourists, Francis Bacon, Tracey Emin, Claude Monet and Barbara Hepworth.

The ground-floor Sculpture Court is a good place to start, though you can begin your wander anywhere. The building also holds the Remembrance Hall and the Cowdray Hall concert venue, both by the original architect. The Bloomberg Connects app works as a digital guide to the collection and building, and there are cafés and shops on site. Photography is permitted in the galleries for personal use.

Tip: There's no on-street parking outside; the nearest car park is Denburn, then Bon Accord/Harriet Street. It's a 10-minute walk from the train and bus stations.

Crathes Castle is a classic Scottish tower house, completed in 1596 by the Burnett family and now run by the National Trust for Scotland. Inside, you'll find turrets, oak panelling, family portraits, antique furniture and painted ceilings that survive from the Renaissance. Look out for the Horn of Leys, given to the Burnetts by Robert the Bruce.

Outside, the walled garden is split into eight themed sections, with herbaceous borders and ancient yew hedges thought to date from 1702. Six waymarked trails run through the wider estate, where you may spot red squirrels, roe deer, woodpeckers and herons. There is also a café, a shop and the Wild Wood Adventure Play area for children. It suits families, garden lovers and anyone who likes a castle with a good walk attached.

Tip: Castle tickets can't be booked ahead. Buy them from the shop on the day, as entry is first come, first served.

Craigievar is a seven-storey tower house in the Scottish Baronial style, begun around 1576 and completed by William Forbes in the 1620s. Its pink harling and turrets make it one of the best preserved and most loved castles in Scotland, and it is said to have inspired Walt Disney's Cinderella Castle. The Forbes family lived here until the 1960s, so the rooms feel lived in rather than staged.

Inside, you'll find the Great Hall with its Stuart Arms over the fireplace, a musicians' gallery, a secret staircase, family portraits, armour and some of Scotland's finest plasterwork ceilings. Outside, the grounds and woodland trails are free to wander, with wildlife to spot and one of Scotland's first house martin towers. It suits history fans, families with curious children and anyone who likes a good castle photo.

Tip: Check the National Trust for Scotland website for current castle tour arrangements before you set off. Don't follow sat-nav to the south drive, which has no vehicle access or parking. Use the main entrance off the A980.

Codona's is an indoor and outdoor entertainment complex on Beach Boulevard at Aberdeen Beach, beside the Queens Links and the North Sea. The Codona family opened the park in 1970, and it has since grown well beyond the rides. Along with the amusement park, you'll find bowling, 3-level karting, laser tag, an indoor arcade and AR darts. There are two 18-hole adventure golf courses, one indoor and one outdoor.

Smugglers Cove is the award-winning adventure play area, with large indoor and outdoor sections for children. Pizza, hotdogs, loaded fries and desserts are on offer, so you can easily make a day of it. Because so much is under cover, it works in most weather. Families with children will find plenty to do, and the bowling lanes, dodgems and darts suit older kids and adults too. Height restrictions apply to rides and attractions.

Tip: Check the ride height guide on the Codona's website before you go, as height restrictions apply to rides and attractions.