Greenhill Plantation

The forest at Greenhill Plantation offers a proper walk through woodland that feels worlds away from the town of Annan, even though it's barely on your doorstep. Tall conifers dominate the landscape here - this isn't ancient native forest, but it serves its purpose well for a bracing hour or two among the trees. You'll find decent tracks through the plantation, though they can get boggy depending on the season. It's the sort of place where locals come to clear their heads rather than tick off a famous viewpoint.

Walkers will get the most from it, particularly those camping at West Moss-Side Livery or Queensberry Bay just up the road. Kids might manage a short circuit, but there's no dramatic payoff - no summit, no loch view, just conifers and mud. The admission situation is unclear, but given its status as a working plantation, you'd do well to check locally in Annan before heading out.

If you're staying at Hoddom Castle Caravan Park and want to stretch your legs without a major expedition, this fills the gap nicely. It's free of the crowds you'd find at more famous Scottish forest walks, which is either refreshing or disappointing depending on what you're after. The Solway coast nearby offers more dramatic scenery, but for a quiet woodland potter when the weather's decent, Greenhill works.