Robert Napier's Engine

A massive cast-iron engine sits quietly beside Loch Lomond, looking every bit the Victorian industrial relic it is. Robert Napier's Engine - built by the Clyde shipbuilder in the 1830s - once powered paddle steamers on the loch. It's a seriously impressive piece of engineering, the sort of thing that makes you realise how far we've come and how brilliant those engineers actually were.

You're basically looking at a chunk of working history. The engine itself is the draw - all cylinders and cast iron and the sheer scale of it. It won't take long to see; twenty minutes is probably enough unless you're genuinely fascinated by Victorian marine engineering. Kids find it interesting for a bit, but it's not a hands-on experience, so don't expect them to be glued to the spot for hours.

The location matters. It's near Balloch, which puts you bang in the middle of Loch Lomond territory. If you're based at Lomond Woods or Loch Lomond Retreat - both excellent parks - this is a decent five-minute diversion on your way somewhere else. Combine it with a walk round the loch or a visit to nearby attractions rather than making it your sole stop.

It's free to view and you can access it fairly easily. Best in decent weather, obviously - standing around looking at metal gets old fast if it's drizzling. One for railway and industrial history enthusiasts mainly, though anyone interested in how things worked will get something from it.