Forest bathing at Bennachie

Bennachie is the distinctive hill with nine summits that has been a landmark in the Garioch for thousands of years. People built a hilltop fort here, farmed its slopes and quarried its granite, and the lower slopes are now forest, much of it planted in the 1950s, managed by Forestry and Land Scotland. Around the Bennachie Centre new wildlife-friendly trees are being planted, and the Colony Trail runs through open woodland past the ruins of colonists' houses.

Start at the Bennachie Centre near Chapel of Garioch. The Discovery Trail is a smooth, gentle half-hour forest walk with wildlife rubbing posts, ideal for an unhurried first visit. The Colony Trail takes longer and has steps, roots and some steep bits; the Mither Tap trail is a hard climb, so leave it for another day. The centre, run by the Bennachie Centre Trust, closes over winter but the car park stays open all year.