Gleneagles B Stone

You'll find this Pictish stone sitting quietly in the Perthshire countryside near Auchterarder, and it's the sort of thing you drive past without realising what you're looking at. The Gleneagles B Stone is a carved Pictish slab, weathered and modest by modern standards, but genuinely rare - we're talking early medieval Scotland here, symbols and marks from people who lived over a thousand years ago. The carvings are still visible if you know what to look for: abstract designs and animal forms that archaeologists reckon tell stories we've mostly forgotten how to read.

This isn't a destination that'll absorb an afternoon. You come, you spend twenty minutes studying the stone, you move on. That said, it's absolutely worth the detour if you're already in the area with kids old enough to appreciate that history isn't always housed in a museum - sometimes it's just sat in a field. The Northern Antiquarian website has the best information available if you want proper context before you visit.

For a proper Perthshire break, base yourself at one of the nearby parks. Alexander House is closest at just over two miles from Auchterarder, while Greenhill Farm Glamping - if you fancy something posher - sits five miles out and has cracking reviews. From there you can explore the wider Tayside region properly, mixing archaeology with actual walks and decent food. The stone itself is free and accessible year-round, though you'll want daylight and dry conditions to make out the carvings.