Ballydugan Lake

The water at Ballydugan is properly still on a calm day - the kind of reflective surface that makes you understand why people bother with landscape photography. It's a modest lake about four miles outside Downpatrick, in County Down, and it won't take your breath away with dramatic scenery, but there's something quietly satisfying about the place.

You get a decent walk around the perimeter if you're after gentle exercise, and the banks are accessible enough that families with young kids won't struggle. Birdwatchers tend to rate it - there's enough water-based wildlife to keep binoculars trained for a good hour or so. It's free to access, naturally, and you can park up and wander at your own pace.

The real value comes if you're based at one of the nearby holiday parks - Edgewater or Coneyisland are both close by, and Delamont Country Park offers proper facilities if you want something more structured. From there, Ballydugan works as a morning outing before heading elsewhere. It's not a destination in itself, but it's the sort of quiet spot that rounds out a park holiday nicely when you need a break from busier attractions.

Best visited on a clearer day when the water actually reflects something worth looking at. Drizzly afternoons, you might find yourself back at the caravan with a cup of tea instead. That's not a criticism - sometimes that's the whole point.