Llyn Penrhaeadr

Drive inland from Aberystwyth for twenty minutes or so and you'll find yourself at Llyn Penrhaeadr, a proper mountain lake that sits high enough to feel genuinely remote. The water is dark and still, ringed by steep moorland that closes in tight - it's dramatic rather than cosy, and that's precisely why it's worth the trip.

This isn't a destination for splashing about. The lake is cold and moorland walking country, so you're looking at an hour or two of tramping the paths that run along the shore, watching the light change across the water as clouds roll over the hills. Walkers will find it rewarding; families with small children might find it a bit too stark and windswept. There's nowhere to eat or properly park a car in the sense of a visitor centre - you'll slot in where the verge allows.

The real appeal is the sense of having stumbled somewhere that feels half-forgotten. You won't find crowds or manicured facilities. If you're staying at Gwerniago Campsite, it's close enough for a morning excursion, though the road narrows considerably as you approach. Go on a clear day if you can; mist rolls in quickly and swallows the hills whole. Free to visit, naturally. Allow two hours if you want to walk the perimeter without rushing. Best in spring or early autumn when the weather's less temperamental than high summer.