An Dun

The forest around An Dun pulls you in before you've properly arrived. Walking up from Pitlochry, you're immediately wrapped in proper Scottish woodland - tall pines, birch trees creating dappled light, and the kind of quiet that makes city noise feel like a distant memory.

An Dun itself is a modest hillfort, Iron Age by the look of it, sitting on slightly raised ground within the forest. Nothing dramatic. No ruins to photograph or interpretation boards spelling everything out. What you get instead is the walk, the trees, and the sense of walking where people walked two thousand years ago. That's the appeal, really.

This works best for walkers who don't need their hand held. Kids might find it underwhelming after twenty minutes - there's no viewpoint to speak of, no café, no dramatic vista at the top. But if you're the type who enjoys a gentle forest ramble and some light history, it's a genuine break from the busier trails around Pitlochry.

Allow 90 minutes to two hours, depending on pace. It's free and accessible year-round, though winter can be muddy. The woodland comes alive in autumn when the light turns amber through the leaves.

If you're based at Tummel Valley Holiday Park just down the road, An Dun makes a fine morning outing before heading into Pitlochry proper for lunch. Not essential, but solid.