Ardgartan Argyll Lodges

Inveraray Castle stands on the shore of Loch Fyne, Scotland's longest sea loch. It is one of the earliest examples of Gothic Revival architecture and a Category A listed building. The Campbells, chiefs of Clan Campbell, have a long history here, and the castle's contents give a glimpse into the way their ancestors lived.

Tip: Pre-book your tickets ahead of your visit, as the castle recommends, and check it is open on the day you plan to go.

Hill House is a villa in Helensburgh, designed between 1902 and 1904 by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for the publisher Walter Blackie. Outside, it has an austere, asymmetrical look, with grey roughcast walls and little ornament. It is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland and open to the public.

Inveraray Jail is a Category A listed courthouse and prison, built in 1820 and now a museum. The prison closed in 1889 and the courthouse stayed in use until the mid-twentieth century. You explore on a self-guided tour, with downloadable audio guides in English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish and Italian.

Tip: Dogs are welcome on the jail tour but not in the escape room, and the escape room must be booked online. There is limited free parking in front, and a large car park nearby.

Dumbarton Castle clings to Dumbarton Rock, a volcanic plug rising almost vertical where the River Leven meets the River Clyde. It was once the heart of an ancient kingdom covering the area now known as Strathclyde, and its recorded history goes back 1,500 years, from the Dark Ages through to the Second World War.

Tip: Book your visit online in advance; Historic Scotland members and Explorer Pass holders can also get in using their pass.

Auchentoshan is a Lowland single malt Scotch whisky distillery on the edge of Clydebank, at the foot of the Kilpatrick Hills near the Erskine Bridge. The distillery was built in 1823 and rebuilt completely in 1969. It has a visitor centre, completed in 2005, and offers behind-the-scenes tours.

Tip: Tours can be booked through the distillery's website, and it's worth checking its current opening days and what the tour covers before you set off.

The Antonine Wall was a turf fortification on stone foundations, built by the Romans across the Central Belt of Scotland between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth. Construction began in AD 142 on the orders of Emperor Antoninus Pius, and for a time it was the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire.

Tip: Head for Rough Castle Fort first, as it is the best preserved of the wall's forts.

Benmore Botanic Garden is a 120-acre mountainside garden on the Cowal Peninsula, run by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. You enter along an avenue of giant redwoods, then follow waymarked walks past a pond, a Victorian Fernery and a collection of towering conifers, including monkey puzzle trees and Douglas firs.

Tip: Dogs are welcome on a short lead, but not inside the Fernery. Parking is free, and the high viewpoint is a steep climb, so allow extra time.

St Conan's Kirk stands in the village of Loch Awe in Argyll and Bute. Designed by Walter Douglas Campbell, it was built in the 1880s, extended in the early 1900s and consecrated in 1930. It is a category A listed building, and a 2016 Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland public poll placed it among the Top 10 Scottish buildings of the last 100 years.

Tip: St Conan's Tower is only half a mile away, so you can see both in one outing.