Castle Park

Castle Park sits just outside Stirling, a proper working nature reserve that doesn't make a fuss about itself. You're walking through woodland and open grassland where locals actually go to spot birds and deer, not queuing for Instagram photos. The castle itself is a ruin - nothing grand, but atmospheric enough if you like picking through old stonework and imagining what happened here centuries back.

It's ideal for walkers and anyone keen on wildlife, though birdwatchers will get the most from it. Families with young kids might find an hour enough unless they're the type to spend all afternoon turning over logs and spotting insects. The woodland paths are straightforward, nothing requiring proper hiking boots, though it can get muddy after rain.

What makes it work is the lack of commercialisation. There's no tearoom, no gift shop, no admission charge as far as I can tell - it's just a place to walk. You can combine it easily with a stay at Craighead Howf, the holiday park about six miles away, which gives you access to this stretch of countryside without the bother of visiting somewhere packaged for tourists. The views across the landscape are decent rather than dramatic, but on a clear day you get a real sense of the terrain around Stirling. Go early on a weekday if you want peace.