Knockendon Reservoir

Water stretches out grey and still between moorland hills, and that's Knockendon Reservoir doing what it does best - looking proper wild and remote without actually being difficult to reach from Ayrshire. You can walk the perimeter track, which takes the better part of an hour and gives you the kind of views that justify leaving the car behind. The surrounding countryside is open moorland with heather and gorse, so if the weather turns - and it will, this is Scotland - there's nowhere to hide, but that's rather the appeal.

Walkers get the most from this spot. It's not a scramble or anything technical, just a steady tramp around the water with the Lowland hills rolling away to either side. Photographers might find something worthwhile on an overcast day when the light does interesting things across the surface. Families with young children could manage it, though there's nothing here to occupy them once you've done the walk - no café, no visitor centre, no playground nonsense.

The reservoir is free to access and you can show up whenever suits. Allow a couple of hours if you're in no rush and fancy a proper potter about the shore. Best visited from late spring through early autumn when the ground isn't boggy underfoot.

The Pods at Auchenhean, about six miles away, gives you a comfortable base for exploring this part of Renfrewshire. Knockendon works brilliantly as a morning walk before heading off to other attractions in the area.