Sorbie Tower, Scotland

A squat, sturdy tower rising from moorland near Newton Stewart, Sorbie Tower is a 16th-century stronghold that catches you off guard. There's not much to it - a five-storey peel tower, the kind of fortified residence built when the Scottish borders were properly lawless - but what's there is genuine and untouched by over-restoration.

You can't get inside (it's locked, which is fair enough given its age), but the exterior tells the story. Walk around the base and you'll spot the iron grilles protecting the lower windows, the narrow slits designed for defence rather than light. The walls are thick enough that you'd need serious determination to breach them. On a clear day from the top of the access path, the views across Wigtownshire are worth the minor effort, all rolling farmland and distant hills.

This is the sort of place that appeals to serious history types and walkers who want something real rather than manicured. It'll take you twenty minutes to nose about, thirty if you're genuinely interested in fortified towers and medieval border life. Families might find it a bit thin - there's no visitor centre or interpretation, just the tower itself.

It's free, obviously, and sits comfortably within a park break at Drumroamin Farm, just a couple of miles away. Newton Stewart has decent facilities for lunch and supplies. Go on a grey day when the stone looks properly ancient rather than a bright afternoon when it photographs like a postcard.