I have a list of places to visit and things to do in Scotland that seems to be growing rather than shrinking, and Crawick Multiverse has been sitting on it for years. Every time I saw photos of its strange landforms and dramatic landscape, I would think, “we really should go there.” As is often the case, years passed before we finally got around to it.

On a sunny day in June, my husband and I set off from Edinburgh for a day exploring Dumfries and Galloway. The plan was simple enough: visit Crawick Multiverse, spend some time at Drumlanrig Castle, and find somewhere for dinner on the way home. As it turned out, it made for one of those brilliant day trips that manages to pack quite a lot into a single day. As an added bonus, we happened to visit during one of Scotland’s rare heatwaves.

After a lovely drive down from Edinburgh our first stop was Crawick Multiverse, just outside Sanquhar.Created by landscape artist Charles Jencks on the site of a former open-cast coal mine, the 55-acre attraction combines art, science and cosmology in a way that is unlike anywhere else I’ve visited in Scotland. The only thing that comes close are the landforms at Jupiter Artland, another firm favourite of ours.

I’ll be honest, before we arrived I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. The photographs looked impressive, but I wondered whether it would be one of those places that is better in pictures than in real life. It wasn’t.

The scale of the landscape is what strikes you first. Huge earthworks rise out of the surrounding countryside, creating hills, mounds, spirals and pathways that seem both natural and completely otherworldly at the same time. Depending on where you stand, it can feel as though you’ve landed on another planet.

We spent around an hour and a half wandering around the site, following the paths up and down the various landforms. The attraction suggests most visitors spend between one and two hours exploring, which felt about right for us.

There are plenty of opportunities to stop and take in the views, particularly from the higher points where you can look across Upper Nithsdale and the surrounding countryside. The site is designed around themes of astronomy and the universe, but you don’t need to know anything about cosmology to enjoy it. We certainly didn’t. Sometimes it’s enough just to enjoy a good walk somewhere a little different.

After completing the circuit, we rewarded ourselves with an ice cream from The Coalface visitor centre before heading back to the car. Ice cream after a walk is practically mandatory, isn’t it? Especially on one of the hottest days of the year.

From there, it was a short drive to Drumlanrig Castle.

Often referred to as the “Pink Palace”, Drumlanrig is one of those buildings that seems almost too grand to be real. Rising out of the estate grounds with its distinctive sandstone façade, it looks exactly like the sort of place that should feature in a period drama. Our first glimpse of the castle as we emerged from the trees stopped us both in our tracks. I think we simultaneously said “wow” out loud. It was far grander than either of us had expected.

Although we didn’t go inside the castle itself, there was more than enough to keep us occupied outdoors. We spent a couple of hours exploring the grounds and gardens, which cover around 40 acres and include formal gardens, woodland areas and beautifully maintained planting schemes.

June is a lovely time to visit. The gardens were full of colour and the long terrace walk provided plenty of opportunities to slow down and admire the views. It felt very different from Crawick Multiverse despite being only a short drive away. One was dramatic, modern and slightly surreal; the other peaceful, elegant and steeped in history.

What I particularly enjoyed was that there was no rush. We wandered wherever took our fancy, stopped for photographs, sat for a while, and simply enjoyed being outdoors on a beautiful day. Sometimes the best days out are the ones without a packed itinerary.

Eventually it was time to start making our way north again. Rather than heading straight home, we took the route through the Mennock Pass, a stunning stretch of road that felt particularly spectacular in the evening sunshine. The river was lined with people wild camping and enjoying the warm weather – and they had certainly picked the perfect day for it. The pass eventually brings you to Wanlockhead, Scotland’s highest village, where we stopped for dinner..

By that point we’d spent most of the day walking, so a hearty meal was exactly what was needed. Wanlockhead may be Scotland’s highest village, but thankfully we didn’t have to climb any further hills to earn our dinner. Instead, we settled into the Wanlockhead Inn, enjoyed a relaxed meal and reflected on a day that had taken us from a former coal mine transformed into a cosmic landscape to one of Scotland’s grandest castles.

Not bad for a day trip.

If you’re looking for somewhere a little different, I’d highly recommend combining Crawick Multiverse and Drumlanrig Castle into the same outing. They’re close enough to visit in a single day but different enough that each feels like a completely separate experience.

Add in a drive through the Mennock Pass and dinner in Wanlockhead and you’ve got the ingredients for a pretty perfect Scottish day out.