Innerwick Church

There's something quite moving about finding a church that's been left largely to itself. Innerwick Church sits quietly near Dunbar, a red sandstone ruin that dates back to the 12th century, and it's the sort of place you stumble upon rather than plan for.

What you get is the shell of the building - roofless now, with walls still standing and enough character to make it worth a brief detour off the main road. The stonework tells its own story, and there's a small graveyard around it with headstones that span centuries. It's genuinely peaceful, the kind of spot where you can hear yourself think.

History types will recognise this as a proper piece of medieval East Lothian architecture. Families with older kids might find it interesting for twenty minutes or so, though younger children could get restless quickly - there's not a huge amount to do beyond walk round it and read the stones. Walkers passing through the area will appreciate it as a natural pause point.

Its great strength is that it's free and accessible, with no faffing about with opening hours or admission fees. Allow half an hour maximum, longer if you're really into gravestone inscriptions. The nearby Belhaven Bay Caravan Park, just four miles away, makes it an easy add-on to a wider East Lothian break - you're close enough to Dunbar's waterfront but far enough away from the bustle to feel like you've discovered something real.