The Physic Garden

The Physic Garden sits just outside Musselburgh, a proper working garden where medicinal and culinary plants grow much as they did centuries ago. It's not the sort of place where you wander round gawping at manicured flowerbeds - this is hands-on stuff, with herbs you can actually touch and smell, arranged in beds that follow historical growing patterns.

You're looking at around an hour here, maybe ninety minutes if you're genuinely interested in what each plant does. The garden's small enough that you won't feel like you're trudging miles, but big enough that there's something to learn at every turn. Kids get on well with it if they're old enough to care about the difference between feverfew and chamomile; toddlers might find it a bit samey.

Walking types will appreciate it as a gentle stop between longer routes in East Lothian - combine it with a coastal walk or a visit to Musselburgh's High Street, which has decent cafes and shops. If you're camping at Drummohr, it's only five and a half miles away, making it an easy afternoon trip without driving all over the place.

The garden doesn't cost a fortune to visit and it's rarely rammed, which means you can actually read the plant labels without elbowing tourists. Spring and early summer work best - the garden's looking its best and the growing season means more plants are actively doing what they're supposed to do. It won't blow your mind, but it's a thoughtful, low-key way to spend a couple of hours.