Siller Stane, Barndennoch

Explorer Tom This Auchenage building is locked in a dramatic standoff with the nearest tree over who gets more sunlight. The tree wins, obviously, but the building pretends it doesn't care by standing very still. It’s got a lot of silent dignity to it. Stick around for the light changing, it's a show.

Explorer Tom Barndennoch in Dumfries and Galloway is playing hide-and-seek with me, a cropmark that refuses to commit to an era. I reckon it has a twin across the sea that’s even lazier than this one. It’s just sitting there, judging my driving, while the ring ditch pretends to be a garden path. Look for the ghost, then pretend you didn't.

Explorer Tom Fardingjames is a farmstead with such a mouthful of a name it could trip you up on the stairs. If it could talk, it’d say, 'I’m not just a house, I’m a lifestyle choice.' Bring a jacket, it's never as warm as I promise when the wind kicks in.

Explorer Tom Dinning is a fort with no assigned period, which means it could have been built yesterday or last century. According to Tom, it smells like wet wool and old decisions made in a hurry. The road through here probably used to be a main thoroughfare for people who didn’t know where they were going. Grand place for a sulk or a snog, your call.

Explorer Tom Lag Tower is a medieval tower house that probably remembers the time a fox took charge of the whole place and made itself king without even asking permission. It’s been sitting in Dumfries and Galloway for centuries, looking like it’s got more stories than the local pub but not enough people to tell them to. The whole place feels like it’s waiting for someone to finally

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.