Sanquhar

Scotland's oldest post office still operates from the same spot where it opened in 1712, handling mail when Bonnie Prince Charlie was still a child. This quiet market town sits in the Nith Valley, surrounded by the rolling Lowther Hills that define much of upper Nithsdale.

Sanquhar feels properly remote without being isolated. The high street runs straight and purposeful, lined with sandstone buildings that have weathered centuries of Border weather. Most visitors pass through en route to somewhere else, which is their loss - the surrounding hills offer some of the finest walking in southern Scotland.

Duntercleuch Rig and Cairn Kinney rise to the north, part of a chain of peaks that includes Tongue Hill and Meikle Knypes. These aren't Munros, but they're substantial enough to earn your lunch when you reach the top. Views stretch across to the Galloway Hills on clear days. The Diamond Jubilee Fountain marks the town centre, a reminder that this place has been celebrating royal occasions for generations.

Archaeology buffs should seek out Sean Caer and Ryehill Motte, both testament to the area's strategic importance in centuries past. The latter offers particularly good views across the valley.

Getting here requires commitment - it's 20 miles north of Dumfries along the A76, with the nearest railway station at Kirkconnel. But that isolation is precisely the point. Staying at one of the nearby parks puts you within easy reach of serious hill walking territory, yet close enough to nip into town for supplies or a proper meal.