Run Free Dog Fields - Cardross

The fields at Cardross are exactly what they sound like - wide open space where dogs can properly sprint without a lead. No fences, no restrictions, just grass and the Clyde estuary as backdrop. You'll see Border Collies working themselves into a frenzy, spaniels thrashing through the long grass, and owners standing about looking relieved to have somewhere their dog won't disappear into a housing estate.

It's genuinely useful rather than a destination in itself. Dog owners staying at Rosneath Castle Caravan Park - that's only five miles away - will know about this place. The fields work best on weekday mornings when you're not navigating round twenty other dogs. Fair weather, it's brilliant. Grey and damp - which describes about sixty per cent of Argyll - and you're just standing in a field getting cold.

There's no facilities to speak of. No café, no car park that you'd write home about, nothing. Bring water for your dog in summer. The whole thing is free, which is the point. You get here, let the dog loose for half an hour, and either head into Geilston House area for proper lunch or drive back to base.

If you're touring the parks around the Rosneath peninsula with a dog that's going stir-crazy from the car, this scratches an itch. It's not worth making a special journey, but if you're in Argyll with a spaniel or a collie that needs running off, you'll be grateful it exists.