The Ward and Summerhouse

Two earthen mounds rising out of the Perthshire landscape near Blairgowrie mark what was once a proper medieval stronghold. The Ward and Summerhouse at Clunie are what remain of a fortified enclosure - one mound's the main defensive structure, the other a secondary position - both now grass-covered and somewhat humbling in their quiet decay.

You won't find much to do here in the conventional sense. There's no visitor centre, no interpretation boards explaining what you're looking at. What you get instead is the simple pleasure of walking amongst genuine medieval earthworks, the kind of thing that appeals to serious history types and landscape archaeologists rather than families after a day out. If you're into Scottish medieval fortifications or just fancy spotting the bones of a 12th or 13th-century settlement, it's worth the trip from Blairgowrie - though you'll want to know what you're looking at before you arrive.

The site's free and accessible as far as we can tell, though opening hours aren't formally advertised. Early morning or late afternoon tends to work best for these kinds of spots - fewer people mucking about, better light for photographs. Allow twenty minutes to half an hour, depending on how much you want to potter around and think about centuries of Scottish history.

If you're based at one of the nearby parks - Blairgowrie Holiday Park or Erigmore - it makes a decent leg-stretch on a quiet afternoon. Don't come expecting entertainment. Come for the contemplation.