Buchlyvie Multicourt

The Buchlyvie Multicourt sits on the edge of the Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve, just outside Stirling in the Scottish Lowlands. It's essentially a sports facility - tennis courts and a playing field - but what makes it worth knowing about is the setting. You're surrounded by proper bog and wetland, with footpaths threading through the reserve itself, so it's the sort of place where you can knock a ball around and then walk off the restlessness on decent trails. The reserve is genuinely wild - not manicured, not fenced off into theme park sections. Lichen-covered trees, bog pools, the works.

Families with older kids who want to combine sport with a bit of nature exploration will find it useful. Walkers should skip the courts themselves and head straight onto the reserve paths - you'll get proper views across the moss and, on clear days, sight lines towards the Campsies. Allow an hour minimum for the reserve proper, longer if you're the sort who stops to photograph fungi and sphagnum moss. The courts are free to book through Stirling Council, though you'll need to arrange that in advance.

It works well as a break from Endrick Escape Luxury Glamping, which sits just four miles away. If you're based at the glamping site and want to tire the kids out without driving to a proper visitor centre, this does the job. Bring waterproof boots - the paths can be boggy even in dry spells. Spring and autumn are your best bets, when the light cuts through the moss and the midges aren't quite as vicious.