Ballymeanoch, dun site

You'll find yourself on a bare hillside above Lochgilphead staring at what looks like a handful of grassy bumps. That's Ballymeanoch - an Iron Age dun, which means a fortified settlement where someone important once lived, probably between 500 BC and 500 AD. The earthworks are subtle but they're genuinely ancient, and standing there you get a real sense of how these people chose their ground: high enough to spot trouble coming, close enough to water and good land below.

What you actually see is a series of low defensive banks and ditches that once surrounded a stone tower or roundhouse at the summit. It's not dramatic like a castle ruin, but that's part of the appeal. You're looking at archaeology in its raw state, not a visitor attraction dressed up with interpretation boards. The walk up takes fifteen minutes or so from the roadside, and the views across Kintyre and the Firth of Clyde make it worthwhile regardless.

This appeals most to serious walkers and archaeology enthusiasts rather than families after an afternoon out. There's nothing to do once you're there except look and think, which some find brilliant and others find thin. It's free and open all year - just turn up. If you're based at The Pod Over By or Lochgilphead Caravan Park, it's a proper quick detour. Give it an hour maximum including the walk. Not a destination in itself, but a decent add-on if you're exploring Argyll's quieter corners.