Balnuaran of Clava Central

Three Bronze Age cairns sit in a field just outside Inverness, arranged in a neat triangle that's been doing its thing for about 4,000 years. Balnuaran of Clava isn't flashy - there are no visitor centres or gift shops - but it's genuinely atmospheric, especially when you're the only person wandering round the stones at dusk.

The site consists of a central cairn ringed by standing stones, with two passage graves either side. What you see now are the bones of these monuments - the turf's been stripped back over time, so you get a proper sense of the engineering involved. The central cairn is the real draw. Walk through the passage and you're in absolute darkness, which is either thrilling or claustrophobic depending on your outlook.

Historically minded visitors will find this more rewarding than casual droppers-in. Kids can manage the walk round, but they'll lose interest once they've clambered on a few stones. Allow 45 minutes, an hour tops.

It's free to visit and open year-round. The ground gets muddy after rain, so good boots matter. If you're staying at Ardtower Caravan Park nearby, it's barely a 10-minute drive - worth squeezing in before heading into Inverness proper. The journey from the car park is a short walk across fields, which is half the charm. No facilities on site, so plan around that.