Capibara

The bronze capybara standing in Edinburgh's outskirts near Newbridge is one of those wonderfully odd things you stumble upon by accident. It's a life-sized sculpture - all calm demeanour and slightly bemused expression - that makes you do a double-take on what you're actually looking at. Why a capybara? That's the question everyone asks, and the answer depends on who you ask. The sculpture has become something of a talking point, a bit of unexpected whimsy in the Scottish Lowlands.

It's more of a photo stop than a destination, truth be told. You won't spend hours here - twenty minutes at most, and that's if you're really keen on getting the perfect angle. Families with younger kids who like animals will find it amusing, and it's the sort of thing that makes for a decent story back home. The real value is that it breaks up a journey through the area or doubles as a quirky addition to a day exploring Edinburgh proper.

If you're based at Linwater Caravan Park just up the road, it's worth a quick detour. Free to visit, no opening hours to worry about - just rock up when you fancy. Don't make it your main event, but don't skip it either. Sometimes the best bits of a trip are the unexpected oddities that don't make the guidebooks.