Curling Pond

The Curling Pond sits just outside Newtonmore, a proper Highland water that's been used for the sport since Victorian times. It's a modest but atmospheric spot, the kind of place where you can imagine locals sliding stones across frozen surface on winter afternoons. The pond itself is small - you won't spend hours here - but it's worth a wander if you're staying nearby, particularly if the weather's clear and the Cairngorms are visible in the distance.

Walkers and history types will get more out of it than families with young children. There's no facilities to speak of, and unless you're genuinely interested in Highland winter sports heritage, the appeal is fairly limited. If you're after something to break up a park holiday, though, it works. The walk around the perimeter takes twenty minutes maximum, and the setting is quintessentially Scottish - moorland rolling away, that particular quality of light you only get this far north.

Both Invernahavon Caravan Park and Laggan Glamping are close enough that you could easily visit as part of a morning's exploration. Newtonmore itself has shops and cafes, so combine it with a coffee run and it becomes a pleasant morning outing rather than a destination in itself. Don't go expecting drama - the Curling Pond's appeal is understated, a quiet reminder that the Highlands have always been about more than just mountains and glens.