Cruggleton Church

Drive past Newton Stewart towards the coast and you'll spot the ruins of Cruggleton Church perched on a headland overlooking Wigtown Bay. It's not much to look at from the road - just crumbling sandstone walls and a handful of arches poking through the grass - but walk around it and the setting becomes properly dramatic.

The church dates back to the 12th century, though what stands now is mostly 15th-century work. There's a real sense of abandonment here, which sounds grim but actually works in its favour. No visitors' centre, no interpretation boards, just you and 800 years of Scottish ecclesiastical history slowly returning to the earth.

It's a short walk from the car park down to the ruins themselves - maybe ten minutes - and worth doing even if you only spend half an hour pottering about. The views across the bay are genuinely excellent, especially on a clear day when you can see right across to the Galloway coast. History buffs will find the fragmentary remains intriguing; families with restless kids might find it a bit underwhelming since there's nothing interactive about it.

Free to visit and completely unstaffed, which means you're left to your own devices. That's either brilliant or slightly eerie depending on the weather. If you're staying at Drumroamin Farm just down the road, it's an easy add-on to a Dumfries and Galloway walking holiday - close enough for a morning visit without eating into your day.