Is a nature retreat in Scotland the tech detox your family needs this summer?

Just a half-hour drive east of Cairngorms National Park, this forgotten corner of Aberdeenshire in northeast Scotland is memorable terrain for a family holiday. Its heather-strewn moors and cairn-topped hills have seen mercifully little development, while the patchy mobile signal helps visitors of all ages reconnect with the rhythms of nature. Close by are an endless series of inspiring daytrips, from storybook castles to pristine, empty beaches.

Forest school

Glen Dye in Aberdeenshire is an ideal base for outdoorsy families, with 11 stylish, riverside cabins and cottages scattered across the 15,000-acre estate. Its Discovery and Adventure Centre, which opened in June 2024, offers courses in wilderness skills. Tuition takes place beside a roaring campfire, where kids can learn how to start their own blaze, practice carving and whittling skills and try axe-throwing.

Exploring the estate

Glen Dye’s Discovery & Adventure Trail is a new, one-mile circuit through dense pine forest that unfolds like a treasure hunt, unveiling interactive features such as a hidden tunnel, a spider web-like cargo net and a mirror maze. For a more challenging hike, there’s 1,932ft-high Clachnaben. Scaling this Tolkienesque, granite-topped peak takes around 1.5 hours, though little legs may need longer. Adults and older kids with energy to burn can hire mountain bikes for the hilly 7.5-mile loop out to Charr Bothy. From £15 for half a day.

Off-grid downtime

Don’t miss a session in the Glen Dye sauna, followed by an ice bath in the orange outdoor tubs or wild swimming in the River Dye. Every property at Glen Dye has its own wood-fired hot tub and barbecue. Come evening, stroll to the estate’s BYOB pub, the Glen Dye Arms, for its dartboard and record player. Camping from £49; B&B rooms from £175; and cottages from £275.

Forest feasting

For a more refined culinary experience, there’s Glen Dye’s pop-up The Seed Store Restaurant, which seats just 12 in a converted 19th-century barn and operates on Saturdays only during July and August. Guest chefs draw on the estate’s abundant natural larder to create dishes cooked over fire; last year’s menus featured everything from samosa chaat to raspberry cranachan. For an easy lunch out, head to the nearby Finzean Estate’s large, light-filled tearoom, which offers sandwiches, salads and a bargain children’s menu for under £5. Parents can take turns browsing in the farm shop while children use the small outdoor playground.

Coastal highs

Just a half-hour drive east of the estate is Aberdeenshire’s rather underrated coastline. Begin at St Cyrus — a three-mile sweep of sand — then drive 25 minutes north to Stonehaven. This harbour town is home to both Dunnottar Castle and Carron Fish Bar; the latter is widely credited with inventing the deep-fried Mars bar.

Exploring further afield

A 45-minute drive west in the Cairngorms is Balmoral Castle, the Queen’s favourite royal residence. Her Majesty would approve of its two-hour expedition tour: a guided journey through the estate by Land Rover, with binoculars provided to maximise the chance of spotting red deer. Close by in Braemar is The Fife Arms, a coaching inn converted by gallerists Hauser & Wirth — parents can linger over a meal in its muralled dining room while youngsters can have a few matches of table football or play one of the many board games in the Family Room.