Leadhills Miners Library

The reading room at Leadhills is a proper throwback - all dark wood panelling and weathered shelves crammed with books that miners actually borrowed two centuries ago. This is the second-oldest subscription library in Britain, founded in 1741, and walking through it feels like stepping into a working-class history lesson that nobody's sanitised for Instagram.

The library itself sits in a village that was once heaving with lead and gold mining activity. You'll see the collection of volumes that made their way down into the hands of pit workers - philosophy, poetry, practical manuals - because these were men who wanted to educate themselves despite gruelling days underground. The building's intimate scale makes it all feel quite real rather than museum-ified.

Walking types and history enthusiasts will find this genuinely interesting. Families with younger kids might find it a bit static - there's no interactive nonsense here, just books and stories - but if your children actually read, they'll probably get something from it.

It's free to visit and won't take more than an hour unless you're the sort who reads every placard. Close enough to Biggar to combine with other South Lanarkshire exploring, and Mount View Caravan Park sits only a few miles away if you're basing yourself in the area. Go on a weekday if you can - you'll have the place practically to yourself.