Plockton Library

The library in Plockton is a proper local hub, tucked into this postcard-pretty village on the edge of Loch Carron. It's small - we're talking a single room with wooden shelves and that distinctive smell of old paper and quiet - but it punches above its weight for a settlement this size.

You'll find the usual library fare: books, newspapers, a few computers for browsing. Nothing flashy. What makes it worth a visit is context. Plockton itself is the real draw - those distinctive red and white painted houses, the Highland views, the sense of being properly away from things. The library is where locals actually gather, swap gossip, pick up reading material for long evenings in the cottage. It's free, naturally, and you can pop in for five minutes or settle in for an hour.

Families stopping over at Reraig Caravan & Camping on Skye, just across the water, would find this a pleasant rainy-day diversion. Kids won't be entertained for hours, but it's the sort of place that reminds you travel isn't all attractions and ticked boxes. Sometimes it's just sitting in a small-town library reading a book while the Scottish weather does what it does outside.

Nearest proper town is Kyle of Lochalsh, a ten-minute drive away, though Plockton itself has enough cafes and shops to kill an afternoon. Free entry. Could easily combine with a wander round the village itself - that's the real visit.