Gallochoille Cottage, dun site

Walking out to Gallochoille Cottage feels less like visiting a tourist attraction and more like stumbling onto a secret that locals have kept to themselves. What you're actually looking at is a dun site - essentially the ruins of an Iron Age fortified settlement, though calling it that makes it sound grander than it is. The remains are modest: earthen banks and ditches that mark out where someone's home once stood, overlooking the water near Tarbert.

It's the kind of place that appeals most to archaeology enthusiasts or anyone who gets a kick from standing somewhere genuinely ancient and trying to piece together how people lived. Kids will probably find it a bit underwhelming unless they're already into history - there's no interpretation centre, no signage, just you and the landscape and your imagination filling in the gaps.

The location is the real draw. You get proper views across the water, and the walk to reach it takes you through genuine Argyll countryside. This is a straightforward outing if you're based at Muasdale Holiday Park just down the road - close enough for an afternoon ramble without needing to commit a full day.

There's no charge, no facilities, no set hours. Just turn up. Bring decent boots if it's been wet, because the ground can be boggy. Allow an hour including the walk and a proper look around. It's worth doing if archaeology interests you or you want something quiet and off the beaten track, but it's not a must if your time in Argyll is limited.