Moffat

Tea shops and climbing boots share the high street here. Moffat sits in a bowl of hills that rise like sleeping giants from the Dumfriesshire countryside, their names - Devil's Beef Tub, Black Fell, Wee Dod - hinting at the wild stories they could tell.

The town itself keeps things proper and unfussy. Victorian spa heritage lingers in the wide streets and sandstone buildings, though these days walkers outnumber the Bath chair brigade. You'll spot them comparing Ordnance Survey maps over coffee, plotting routes up Craig Hill or debating whether to tackle the Devil's Beef Tub - that dramatic hollow that once hid stolen cattle and now frames one of southern Scotland's finest viewpoints.

These hills don't mess about. White Hill and Greenhill Dod offer cracking views for those willing to put the work in, while gentler souls can appreciate the rolling landscape from town level. The surrounding Lowther Hills create a proper mountain amphitheatre, with peaks like Flecket Hill and Campland Hill providing endless options for hill walkers.

Getting here's straightforward enough - the A74(M) brings you within spitting distance, and it's a comfortable drive from Dumfries or the Borders. The town makes a sensible base for exploring the Southern Uplands, with enough cafes and shops to keep you fed and watered between excursions.

Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks puts you right in the thick of it. Wake up to those hill views, spend your days on the fells, then return to a proper campfire as the sun sets behind Mosshope Bank. No need for lengthy drives to reach the good stuff - it's all on your doorstep.