Forest bathing at Rozelle Estate

Rozelle Estate, on the southern edge of Ayr near Alloway, was gifted to the public in 1968 and is now a park. Its grounds combine mature woodland, rhododendron walks and an ornamental pond, with art set among the trees: the Remembrance Woodland carvings, stone sculptures by Ronald Rae and willow sculptures by David Powell. Finding them gives a slow walk a gentle shape.

There is parking, including Blue Badge parking, and the Rozelle Tearoom at the back of the house serves lunch, coffee and home baking, with seats looking out over the estate. Rozelle House Museum and Galleries and the Maclaurin Art Gallery are free to visit and hold exhibitions all year. The estate hosts events and festivals through the year, so check before you go if you want it quiet. On an ordinary day the woodland paths make an easy, close-to-town place for an unhurried hour among the trees.