Seton Collegiate Church

The ruins of Seton Collegiate Church sit just outside Prestonpans, a proper slice of Scottish ecclesiastical history that most tourists drive straight past. What you're looking at is the skeletal remains of a late 15th-century church, founded by the Seton family, with enough stonework still standing to give you a real sense of what it once was. The choir and chancel are particularly impressive - you can trace the Gothic windows and see where the ornamental details would have caught the light during services five centuries ago.

It's not a working church anymore, more of an atmospheric ruin that rewards a proper wander around. History buffs will spend a good hour picking out architectural details and imagining the place in its heyday. Families with younger kids might manage twenty minutes before they get restless, though the open space means they can run about without causing mayhem. There's no formal admission charge that I'm aware of - you just turn up - and it's free to explore. Best visited in decent weather when you can actually read the stonework without squinting through drizzle.

If you're staying at Haven Seton Sands Holiday Village just half a mile away, or Drummohr Camping nearby, this is an easy add-on to your park holiday. It's the sort of place that takes five minutes to find but genuinely enriches a day spent exploring East Lothian's quieter corners. Don't expect a visitor centre or any hand-holding - just honest, crumbling history.