Craigie Plantation

The woodland at Craigie Plantation spreads across a decent chunk of the Lowlands, just inland from Castle Douglas. It's the sort of place where you can walk for hours without seeing another soul, which is either brilliant or tedious depending on your tolerance for quiet. The trees are thick enough to offer proper shelter on a drizzly day - and there will be drizzly days - but open enough that you're not trudging through gloom.

Walkers absolutely get the most from this. The paths wind through mixed woodland with enough variation to keep your legs interested without being punishing. Families with younger kids might find it a bit samey after forty minutes, though older children who actually enjoy walking will do fine here. History buffs won't find much to anchor onto - it's forest, not fortress - but there's something appealing about moving through landscape that's been managed this way for generations.

Allow two to three hours if you're properly exploring. Come when it's dry if possible; these paths get boggy. There's no visitor centre or facilities that I'm aware of, so bring water and pack something to eat. Free access as far as I can tell.

It works well as a half-day addition to a caravan park stay at Brandedleys near Dumfries - close enough that you're not burning petrol for an hour, but far enough that you feel like you've actually gone somewhere. Combine it with Castle Douglas itself for a proper day out.