Strath Polly, dun

The ruins of Dun Strath Polly sit on a hillside overlooking the moorland between Ullapool and Lochinver, and honestly, it's the kind of place that rewards a bit of effort. This is an Iron Age broch - a circular stone tower that would have stood maybe 40 feet high when it was properly built, probably between 100 BC and 100 AD. These days you're looking at tumbled walls and a foundation ring, but the setting's what gets you. You can make out the double wall structure if you know what you're looking at, and the views back towards the lochs are tremendous.

It's a rough walk in - nothing technical, but the ground's boggy and the final push up the slope takes about 20 minutes from the road. Bring proper boots. This isn't somewhere you'd take small children expecting them to enjoy an afternoon; teenagers who like history or a decent hike will get more from it. The nearest town is Ullapool, about 20 minutes' drive away, so you can combine it with coastal walks or a poke around the town itself.

Port a Bhaigh Campsite is just five miles away, which makes this a sensible stop if you're based there for a longer park holiday in the Highlands. There's no visitor centre, no interpretive panels - it's just you and the stones and the wind. That's either brilliant or dull depending on what you want from a morning out. Worth the detour if you're into archaeology or dramatic Highland views. Otherwise, the Lochinver coastal scenery nearby is probably a better use of your time.