Site of Black Hill Roman Watch Tower

There's not much left to see at Black Hill, to be honest. What you get is a windswept patch of moorland north of Perth where, around 80 AD, the Romans built a watch tower to keep tabs on the Caledonians below. These days it's just grassed-over bumps and ramparts - the sort of thing that needs either a keen interest in Roman military strategy or a decent imagination to make it sing.

Walkers will find it worthwhile enough. The site sits on decent high ground with reasonable views across Perthshire, and the walk up from the valley is straightforward without being dull. You're looking at maybe 45 minutes to an hour here if you're thorough. Archaeology enthusiasts and Roman history buffs will get more from it than families with young kids, though older children interested in the period will find it beats reading a textbook.

The real pull is combining it with other sites in the area. Perth itself has solid Roman remains, and this watch tower tells part of that wider story - it's a piece of the Gask Ridge defensive line that ran from here down towards Stirling. If you're based at Beech Hedge or Blairgowrie Holiday Park, neither is far away, so it slots in nicely as a morning expedition before heading elsewhere.

Timing? Summer is better when the ground's drier and the days longer. There's no formal visitor centre or facilities, so come prepared. Free to access, naturally enough - there's nothing stopping you walking up there any day of the week.