Beinn Lagan, dun site

The ruins of an Iron Age fort sit high on Beinn Lagan, overlooking Argyll's glen country near Cairndow. It's a proper walk to get there - steep in places, with rough ground underfoot - but once you crest the summit you understand why someone chose to build here nearly two thousand years ago. The views across the valley are outstanding, and on a clear day you can pick out the defensive advantages that made this dun site worth defending. There's not much left to see in terms of standing structures, so this isn't a wander-round-and-read-plaques kind of outing. Instead it rewards those who enjoy piecing together the past from contours in the earth and broken stone. Walkers and archaeology enthusiasts will get far more from it than families with young kids, who'd likely lose patience before reaching the summit. Allow a good couple of hours there and back from the car park, depending on fitness. The site is free and accessible year-round, though boots are essential and winter mud can be challenging. If you're based at Stucreoch Caravan Park or Argyll Caravan Park - both within five miles - this makes a decent half-day excursion away from the main tourist routes. It's the sort of place that appeals to people who actually enjoy landscapes and history rather than those looking for ice cream vans and gift shops.