Daviot and Dunlichity War Memorial

Two stone circles stand on a quiet Highland moor south of Inverness, wind-worn and ancient, marking where Bronze Age communities once gathered. Daviot and Dunlichity are recumbent stone circles - that is, they each have one massive stone lying horizontally among the uprights, a design peculiar to this corner of Scotland. Both are accessible without fuss, though you'll want proper footwear and a decent map; the moorland terrain is boggy in places and there's no visitor centre or marked path.

Historians and archaeology enthusiasts will find this quietly compelling. The stones themselves aren't dramatic - they're smaller than some circles further south - but there's something about standing among them on an empty moor that gets under your skin. Photography types should arrive early or late in the day when the light catches the weathered granite properly. Kids might manage twenty minutes before boredom sets in, unless they're the sort who enjoy solving spatial puzzles (the circles are aligned to astronomical events, which can occupy an older child for a while).

Access is free and unrestricted. Allow forty minutes to an hour once you've located the site and walked in from the road. Both circles sit within striking distance of Ardtower Caravan Park and Go Glamping at Loch Ness, making them ideal for a morning walk between caravan stays. They're best visited on a clear day - mist robs them of their impact.