Isle of Arran

Two stone circles stand like ancient sentinels on Machrie Moor, their weathered granite megaliths older than Stonehenge. This is Arran's archaeological heart - a windswept plateau where Bronze Age farmers once gathered for rituals we can only guess at. The island feels like Scotland condensed into one magnificent chunk of rock, sea and heather, earning its nickname as 'Scotland in miniature'.

Mountain walkers have their pick of proper Munros here. Beinn Nuis and its neighbouring peaks offer cracking views across the Firth of Clyde on clear days, while gentler souls can potter round Machrie Bay Golf Course with the sea lapping nearby. The South Arran Marine Protected Area protects waters teeming with seals and porpoises - you'll often spot them from the coastal path.

King's Cave holds legends of Robert the Bruce watching his famous spider, though the reality is more prosaically a sea cave carved by millennia of Atlantic storms. Still atmospheric on a grey day. Meanwhile, Uamh Bhriste offers another subterranean adventure for those not afraid of squeezing through tight spaces.

Getting here means the CalMac ferry from Ardrossan - about an hour's crossing that's half the adventure. Brodick is the main town, though the whole island feels wonderfully remote once you venture beyond the harbour.

Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense when exploring Arran. You're never more than 20 minutes from a mountain summit or stone circle, and the island's compact size means you can cover serious ground in a day before returning to your base for a proper Scottish evening.