Oban

Sea salt hangs heavy in the air while CalMac ferries churn their way across the Sound of Kerrera. This is the gateway to the Hebrides, where whisky distilleries meet fishing boats and tourists clutch carrier bags from the Co-op.

Oban's seafront curves like a protective arm around the bay, dominated by McCaig's Tower - that odd Victorian folly perched on Battery Hill that looks like Rome's Colosseum had a Highland fling. The harbour buzzes with proper activity: fishing boats unloading their catch, ferries bound for Mull and Iona, and day-trippers queuing for fish and chips at the pier.

Beyond the town, the landscape opens into something properly wild. Beinn Lora rises to the south, offering cracking views across Loch Etive for those willing to make the climb. Further afield, Achnacree Moss holds the remains of an ancient crannog - one of those Iron Age lake dwellings that makes you wonder how our ancestors managed without central heating.

The drive north takes you past sea lochs that cut deep into the mountains, while heading south leads to the dramatic Pass of Brander. It's proper Highland territory - the sort of place where single-track roads wind between lochs and you'll find yourself pulling into passing places for sheep.

Getting here means the A85 from Glasgow or the scenic coastal route up from the south. The train runs twice daily from Glasgow Queen Street, though it's a bit of a trek at three and a half hours.

Basing yourself at one of the nearby parks makes perfect sense. You're close enough to nip into town for dinner at Eeusk or to catch the morning ferry to Mull, yet far enough out to wake up to silence broken only by curlews calling across the water.