Middlebie Sniffari

The Middlebie Sniffari is exactly what it sounds like - a chance to let your dog off the lead and follow a scent trail through the countryside near Lockerbie. It's straightforward stuff: you and your pooch work through a marked route, following your dog's nose as it picks up laid scent trails. The whole thing takes about an hour, maybe less if your dog is particularly keen or spectacularly uninterested.

This isn't for everyone, obviously. If you've got a spaniel or a collie that lives for this sort of thing, you'll find it brilliant. Dogs get mental stimulation, you get a decent walk, and there's something genuinely satisfying about watching your dog do what it's been bred to do. That said, if your dog is ancient, arthritic, or frankly couldn't care less about following scent, you'll spend an hour being dragged round fields.

It's free to access, which is the main selling point. The setting is proper Scottish Lowlands - rolling fields, nothing flashy, but pleasant enough. Lockerbie is close by, so you can combine it with other activities without much faffing about.

If you're based at Cressfield Caravan Park or Hoddom Castle just down the road, and you've got a dog that actually enjoys working, it's worth the detour. Couples with enthusiastic gundogs will get the most from it. Families with dogs are fine too, though younger kids might get bored watching their terrier sniff grass for sixty minutes. Leave the ancient Labrador at home and you'll have a decent morning out.