The neighbourhood

Wanlockhead sits high in the Lowther Hills and is Scotland's highest village, with open moorland, rolling hills and some of the darkest night skies in the south of Scotland. It's a former lead-mining village, and that history is all around you. You can go underground at the Museum of Lead Mining, try gold panning in the local burns, or ride the Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway, a heritage line that runs in summer. Walkers can join the Southern Upland Way, which passes right through the village, or head up into the surrounding hills for big views across the Southern Uplands. The drive down the Mennock Pass into Nithsdale is one of the most scenic roads in the area. Just beyond, near Sanquhar, Crawick Multiverse is well worth a visit. It's a striking landscape of land art inspired by the cosmos, created by Charles Jencks on a former mining site. Drumlanrig Castle and its grounds also make a good day out. Right in the village, Lowther Leisure Pool is perfect for a swim whatever the weather, and it's a real hit with families. Sessions can be booked online. The village is quiet and unspoilt but easy to reach, about 20 minutes from the M74. That puts Glasgow and Edinburgh both within roughly an hour and a quarter.