3-Bedroom Lodge with Hot Tub in Balloch

Dumbarton Castle clings to Dumbarton Rock, a volcanic plug rising almost vertical where the River Leven meets the River Clyde. It was once the heart of an ancient kingdom covering the area now known as Strathclyde, and its recorded history goes back 1,500 years, from the Dark Ages through to the Second World War.

Tip: Book your visit online in advance; Historic Scotland members and Explorer Pass holders can also get in using their pass.

Blair Drummond is a family safari park just outside Stirling, set in a 120-acre estate with over 300 animals. You can set out on a drive-through safari past the African reserve, home to Grant's zebra and southern white rhinos, the lion reserve and the Asian reserve with Bactrian camels and Père David's deer.

Tip: Tickets are online only and none are sold at the gate, so book ahead, especially at weekends and school holidays when it often sells out.

Hill House is a villa in Helensburgh, designed between 1902 and 1904 by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for the publisher Walter Blackie. Outside, it has an austere, asymmetrical look, with grey roughcast walls and little ornament. It is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland and open to the public.

M&D's is an amusement park in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, bordering Strathclyde Park. It has two roller coasters, including Runaway Mine Train and the children's Big Apple, plus thrill rides such as Air Raid and a pirate ship, and Moby's Revenge, a three-lane dinghy water slide. Younger children have their own junior rides, including trampolines.

Tip: Check the park's website for opening times before you go, as hours differ between attractions.

Kelvingrove is a major art gallery and museum in Glasgow's West End, set in Kelvingrove Park. The Spanish Baroque building opened in 1901, and its 22 galleries display over 8,000 objects. The collections range from natural history, Egyptian antiquities and armour to Scottish history, design and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, plus one of Europe's great civic art collections.

Tip: Download the floor plan or the free digital guide before you go, to pick out the must-see objects first.

Auchentoshan is a Lowland single malt Scotch whisky distillery on the edge of Clydebank, at the foot of the Kilpatrick Hills near the Erskine Bridge. The distillery was built in 1823 and rebuilt completely in 1969. It has a visitor centre, completed in 2005, and offers behind-the-scenes tours.

Tip: Tours can be booked through the distillery's website, and it's worth checking its current opening days and what the tour covers before you set off.

Stirling Castle is one of the largest and most historically important castles in Scotland. It stands on a volcanic crag with steep cliffs on three sides, and the rock has been fortified since ancient times. Generations of Scottish monarchs enlarged and embellished it, and Mary, Queen of Scots was crowned here in 1542.

Tip: Book your visit online in advance for a set date and time; the Great Hall and Royal Palace are the parts to head for first.

The Hunterian is the oldest public museum in Scotland, run by the University of Glasgow on its main campus in the West End. It is a group of venues rather than a single building, and holds over a million items, from meteorites to mummies and Mackintosh.

Tip: The venues are spread across the campus and beyond, so check the Hunterian's website for each venue's opening times and any temporary closures before you go.