Historic Kilmun

The church at Kilmun sits quietly on the Cowal Peninsula, a few miles north of Dunoon, and it's one of those places that rewards a bit of effort to find. This is proper old Scotland - a 13th-century burial ground with a more recent church building that's actually worth stepping inside. The kirkyard itself is atmospheric in the way only old graveyards can be, with weathered stones tilting at odd angles and the kind of peace that makes you remember why people chose these spots.

You won't spend hours here, but that's not the point. Twenty minutes to wander the grounds, read some of the older stones if you can make out the dates, and sit by the water if the weather allows - that's the rhythm. The nearby Dunoon gives you proper amenities, and it's close enough to Hunters Quay Holiday Village or The Secret Glen Campsite that you can tack this onto a morning before heading to the beaches or up into the hills around Loch Eck.

This works best for anyone with an interest in Scottish history or those after a quiet spot that hasn't been over-organised into a visitor experience. Families with very young kids might find it dull, but teenagers who aren't phone-glued often find graveyards oddly interesting. The walk from the road is brief and flat. Go when the light's good - late afternoon particularly - because the stone work photographs well and the whole place gets a golden quality to it.