Taynuilt

Iron ore once thundered down from the mountains here, and you can still feel that industrial pulse beneath the Highland tranquillity. Taynuilt sits where Loch Etive meets the road to Oban, a proper West Highland settlement that's more working village than tourist stop.

The surrounding landscape is absolutely cracking. Loch Etive stretches away to the southwest, while a constellation of smaller lochs - Sior Loch, Loch a'Bharrain, and Loch nan Losgann among them - dot the hills like scattered mirrors. Each one's different: some hemmed in by steep sides, others sprawling across moorland plateaus.

Mountain lovers will find plenty to tackle. Beinn Dubh Airigh offers the closest serious climb, though the peaks scattered around - Cruach Narrachan, Beinn Chapull, Càrn Duchara - provide enough variety for a proper fortnight's walking. The views from any of them take in the whole of Loch Etive and beyond to the islands.

History buffs should seek out the Sheiling For Deirdre and Naoise, a reminder of the ancient stories that cling to these glens. It's not signposted from the main road, mind - you'll need to ask locally.

Oban's just twenty minutes up the A85, making this an excellent base for island-hopping without the harbour town's summer crowds. Several holiday parks around Loch Awe offer a more peaceful alternative to staying in town, with direct access to some of Scotland's finest hill walking and loch fishing right from your pitch.