Wester Cairnie

You'll find Wester Cairnie a few miles outside Perth - a Bronze Age cairn that's genuinely easy to miss if you don't know what you're looking for. It's essentially a stone burial mound, the kind of thing that dots Perthshire if you know where to look, and this one's been standing for roughly 4,000 years.

What you get is a proper sense of scale when you walk up to it. The cairn itself is a substantial heap of stones, weathered and moss-covered, with enough presence to make you stop and think about the people who built it. There's no visitor centre, no interpretation boards, no coffee shop - it's just the thing itself and the landscape around it. That's the appeal if you're into archaeology, or the drawback if you prefer everything spelled out.

Historically minded types will find it worthwhile, and anyone interested in Bronze Age Scotland should add it to a wider Perthshire tour. Walkers won't find much of a trek here, but it works as a stop-off if you're exploring the area around Perth. It's free and accessible, though you'll want to check conditions after heavy rain as the ground gets boggy.

If you're staying at one of the caravan parks nearby - Perth Caravan Park or Broadslap Farm are both reasonable bases - Wester Cairnie slots in nicely as a half-hour detour. Don't expect crowds or facilities, but do expect to be alone with something genuinely old.