Broxwood Picnic Area

The car park at Broxwood sits high above Dunoon, and on a clear day you can see right across the Firth of Clyde to the Ayrshire coast. It's a proper stop rather than a destination in itself - a roadside layby with tables and benches where you can unwrap a sandwich and actually taste the air instead of being stuck in a stuffy café.

There's nothing fancy here. What you get is a vantage point, some wooden picnic furniture bolted to the ground, and views that shift depending on the light. Morning mist can make the whole thing atmospheric; afternoon sun can wash it out entirely. The uphill walk from Dunoon takes about twenty minutes on a decent track, but you can also drive up and park properly.

Families with young kids will find it useful for a leg-stretch break during a coastal holiday - it's close enough to The Secret Glen Campsite and Stratheck Holiday Park that you could use it as a mid-morning stop without adding miles to your drive. Walkers might call in as part of a longer loop around the Cowal Peninsula rather than treating it as a standalone visit. History buffs won't find much to chew on here.

No facilities that I could see - no loos, no bins, no café. Bring what you need and take your rubbish back down the hill. Free to use, obviously. Best visited when the weather's playing ball. In November drizzle it feels a bit forlorn, but in June it's excellent.