Arbigland Gardens

The woodland at Arbigland, just outside Dumfries, is one of those places that rewards a proper wander. You're walking through mature forest here - tall conifers mixed with deciduous trees, the ground soft underfoot, light filtering through in that way that makes you actually want to be outside rather than feel obliged to be. It's genuinely quiet, the kind of place where you notice birdsong.

What draws people here is the scale of it combined with the lack of crowds. Families with younger kids do well enough for an hour or so, though there's no formal play area or visitor facilities to speak of - this isn't a manicured country estate with tea rooms and gift shops. It's a forest. Walkers who know what they're after will find proper trails, and photographers should bring a tripod. The appeal is straightforward: trees, space, air that doesn't smell like traffic.

Based in Dumfries for a caravan holiday? Parkdean Resorts Southerness is only just over two miles away, making this ideal for an afternoon escape when the weather isn't dramatic enough for beach time. Caerlaverock Castle Corner, five miles south, sits you closer to the Solway Firth if you're mixing woodland with estuary walks. Allow two hours minimum if you're going to do this properly rather than just a fifteen-minute stroll. Spring and autumn tend to work best - summer can be muggy under all that canopy, and winter's muddy if there's been rain.