Llyn Morwynion Reservoir

The walk down to Llyn Morwynion Reservoir catches most visitors off guard - you're expecting a tame stroll round a Welsh lake, but instead you get proper elevation change and genuine quiet. It sits high enough that the world falls away once you're down there, the water slate-grey on grey days and briefly brilliant when the sun hits it right.

This isn't a destination for the "tick it off" crowd. There's no visitor centre, no cafe, no marked trail with interpretive boards. What you get is a reservoir in the mountains above Blaenau Ffestiniog - a place to walk, to sit, to actually think for a bit. The surrounding moorland is bleak in the best possible way. On a clear day the views across Gwynedd open up properly.

It's ideal for walkers who know what they're after - solitude and landscape rather than attractions. The walk itself isn't brief, and the terrain can be boggy depending on rainfall. Not one for small kids desperate for immediate payoff. History types might find the industrial heritage interesting (this is old slate country), but you won't find plaques or context here.

Stay at Llechwedd Glamping over the hill and you've got proper access to these mountains without the tourist machinery. Allow half a day minimum. There's nothing preventing you walking round the full shoreline if the weather holds. Free, obviously - it's a reservoir in the hills. Go when the weather's forecast decent; otherwise it's just grey on grey, and there's only so much moody charm a person can take.