LEITH HALL

WHERE IS IT? In a stunning corner of Aberdeenshire, set in its own extensive estate.

WHY SHOULD I VISIT? To see a granite fairy castle complete with turrets and coats of arms. Built in 1650 and owned by the Leith-Hay family for generations, Leith Hall mixes Jacobean style with magical spires and secret nooks. There’s even a small military museum containing memorabilia such as uniforms and weapons, much of it connected to the Leith-Hay family. During the First World War the hall became a field hospital where more than 500 soldiers were treated, although the building has since been restored to its former glory, including a £500,000 renovation that only finished in 2013. The grounds, well worth a wander, include a rock garden.

INSIDER TIPS? A number of ghostly accounts are said to have been witnessed over the years, including a man with a dirty white bandage over his head, strange smells of camphor and food in the bedrooms, children

playing in a room and the sound of a lady laughing. There’s also an unusual shelter in the garden built to house various Pictish stones discovered in the grounds.

Leith Hall Garden and Estate, Kennethmont, Huntly, Aberdeenshire. Garden open all year. Hall and shop open until October 31. April 1 to June 30, Sat and Sun, 10.30am-4.30pm. July 1 to September 30, Thurs-Sun, 10.30am-4.30pm. October, Sat and Sun, 10.30am-4.30pm. Adults £10.50. Members go free.