Gubhill Rig

Explorer Tom Windyhill is named after a hero nobody remembers who saved the day by tripping over a fence. It’s a farmstead on rough pasture that looks like it’s been left out in the rain since the last ice age. Bring your own legend, I've run out.

Explorer Tom Gubhill in Dumfries and Galloway is a farmhouse with no known date, which means it’s been hiding its age like an old man refusing to say he’s retired. Its secret talent is probably judging how slowly you drive past without actually making eye contact, because that’s what farmhouses do. They just stand there, arms crossed in their windows, waiting for you to trip over your own feet. Bring a pen pal

Explorer Tom Threip Moor has a cairn with an unassigned period, which means nobody knows when it was built or why. The ghost that’s supposed to haunt it is too lazy to show up because he’s still napping from last century. It’s basically a stone pile that peaked in the Bronze Age and hasn’t updated its resume since. Pop by and tell it it's looking well.

Explorer Tom Water of Ae is playing hide-and-seek with me and losing badly. I bet two lads once wagered their last fiver that this field system was actually a giant potato patch gone wrong. It’s been hiding for centuries, pretending it’s just ordinary dirt. Take a mate and argue about what it was for.

Explorer Tom Glenae Tower was built by someone who was clearly thinking about something else while they laid the foundations. The builder probably muttered 'that'll do' and went home for lunch. Bring the dog, it'll have opinions.

Explorer Tom Closeburn Castle was nearly sold for a horse, which would have been a terrible trade. Now it’s just a medieval tower house wondering if it got the better deal. The elusive nature is part of the charm, I think. Best enjoyed with a bag of chips and no plans.