Balnuaran of Clava SW

Three thousand years of Scottish prehistory stands in a field just outside Inverness, and it's properly atmospheric. Balnuaran of Clava consists of three Bronze Age cairns arranged in a line, each surrounded by a ring of standing stones - the kind of place where you genuinely feel like you've stepped back in time. The central cairn is the most impressive, with its stone circle still largely intact, and on a quiet morning the whole site has a real sense of purpose about it, not just random rocks scattered about.

This is absolutely one for archaeology enthusiasts and anyone keen on understanding how Scotland's earliest peoples lived. Kids might find it interesting for ten minutes, but unless they're already into Stone Age history, they'll likely want to move on. The site is free and accessible year-round, which is brilliant - no faffing about with opening times. Allow 30 to 45 minutes to walk around properly and actually take in what you're looking at, rather than just snapping photos.

It sits nicely within a Highland archaeology trail if you're planning a longer stay. Ardtower Caravan Park, just 2.8 miles away, makes a solid base for exploring this corner of Inverness and the surrounding Cairngorms. The cairns work best on a clear day when you can actually see the landscape these people chose to build in - on a grey, drizzly afternoon it's moody but less rewarding. Well worth the short drive from town if Bronze Age monuments are your thing.