Glen Devon, Burnfoot

Explorer Tom The Japanese Garden at Cowden began with Ella Christie's travels and a decision that a Scottish estate could make room for another country's garden art. Around 1908 she asked Japanese designer Taki Handa to shape seven acres beside her home. The result is calm enough to make me lower my voice, which friends would tell you is an achievement all by itself. Handa arranged water, stone, bridges and planting with meanings that reward a slow visit. Look for the moss islands and the rock forms of a turtle and crane, signs of good fortune. Stone markers show where visitors should not step. Scottish plants sit with Japanese ones, so this is a conversation between places rather than a garden shipped intact from across the world. Ella had travelled widely; the garden was a personal project with Handa's skilled design at its heart. The site suffered serious vandalism in 1963. Restoration began decades later with Japanese and Scottish help, and it reopened to the public in 2017. The pavilion explains the history, while the pond, lanterns and summer house invite you to see how much work has gone into bringing the design back. Even the koi appear to understand that the visitors are meant to slow down. Tickets are best booked ahead. Through 25 October 2026 the garden opens most days except Tuesday, ten thirty until five. From 26 October to 28 March it opens Wednesday to Sunday, ten thirty until four, apart from a festive closure. Only assistance dogs may enter the Japanese Garden; other dogs can use specified estate walks on leads. Check the day's notice, follow the paths, and let Cowden set the pace.

Explorer Tom Fire Hill in Clackmannanshire is named after a hero nobody remembers who saved it from a very dramatic, probably imaginary, inferno. It’s just a 21st-century spot that seems to be bracing itself for another blaze that never quite materialises. The whole place has that 'waiting for the other shoe to drop' energy that keeps you on your toes. Go now, before it gets

Explorer Tom Two families fought over who owned the view from Fir Knowe, and neither of them was particularly nice about it. The trees just shrug and keep growing, ignoring the whole messy human drama below. Ideal place to rehearse an excuse for being late.

Explorer Tom Dollar Glen begins with a burn making more noise than seems reasonable for its size. The paths climb from Dollar into a deep, wooded cleft where the Burns of Care and Sorrow run under steep slopes. With names like those, I expected a miserable walk; the waterfalls and mossy rock have entirely different plans for you. The National Trust for Scotland looks after the glen, with routes past Sochie Falls and up towards Castle Campbell. The castle sits above the trees like it has been waiting all day to judge your footwear. Follow the water and you can see how it cut the gorge, with bridges and paths giving changing views of the falls. It is a splendid place for a short walk that keeps tempting you around one more bend. Do not mistake the scenic setting for a flat garden path. Sections are steep, uneven and slippery after rain; drops beside the trail deserve attention. There are no toilets in the glen. Dogs need to stay under close control, particularly where wildlife or other walkers are close. Castle Campbell has its own admission and opening arrangements, and it is normally closed from October through March, so the walk and a castle visit are separate plans. The glen itself is free and open year round, but the Trust currently advises against travel during this weekend's high winds, 24 and 25 October 2026. Check its visitor notice and the weather before going; trees and narrow paths are a poor place to argue with a storm. Pick a calmer day, bring decent shoes, and let the Burns of Care and Sorrow discover they have badly misnamed the outing.