Woodhall Dean - Scottish Wildlife Trust Wildlife Reserve

You'll find yourself on a stretch of coastal grassland near Dunbar that doesn't announce itself loudly, and that's rather the point. Woodhall Dean is a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve where the appeal lies in watching things rather than having things explained to you. Bring binoculars and patience.

The reserve covers moorland and coastal habitats where you're genuinely likely to spot birds - curlews, golden plovers, and if you're lucky, hen harriers working the rough ground. There's a proper trail system without the sort of well-trodden paths that spoil the wildness. It takes maybe an hour to walk the main routes, though keen birders and nature photographers could easily spend half a day here.

The views over the Firth of Forth are solid rather than spectacular, but that's fine. This place works because it's genuine rather than polished. Families with patient kids will appreciate it; impatient toddlers will find it thin on attractions. Serious walkers and twitchers will consider it worth the detour from Dunbar.

It's free to access and there's no formal visitor centre or facilities, so bring what you need. Best visited during migration seasons - spring and autumn - when you've got a decent chance of seeing something unusual. Winter can be bleak without being rewarding.

If you're staying at Belhaven Bay Caravan Park nearby, this makes a solid morning out before heading elsewhere. Don't expect entertainment - expect solitude and the possibility of wildlife.