7 Go wild camping in Scotland
The purist camping ideal is to fall asleep with little coming between you and Mother Nature. The reality at most sites means being woken by the rowdy kids (or uninhibited couple) in the tent next door. For something approaching the former, choose exclusive wild camping at Ruberslaw in the Scottish Borders. Here you're promised an isolated pitch, separated from others by hundreds of metres of trees, gorse and heather (from £29 per two people, not including tent;ruberslaw.co.ukhttp://ruberslaw.co.uk;). A firebowl to cook over lets you satisfy your inner Bear Grylls - though Bear would probably consider it cheating given that the supply of logs is topped up daily. Make the most of your weekend of quiet by spotting wildlife including deer and hawks, or get active and hike up the 424m-high Rubers Law for views across the English border. There are also opportunities to explore - on foot, by bike, or on horseback - the forest trails that lead to abbey ruins and pubs liberally decorated in tartan.
ARRIVE Roughly halfway between Edinburgh and Newcastle, Ruberslaw is an hour-and-a-half's drive from either.