Dumfries is the main town of southwest Scotland, set on the River Nith and surrounded by soft lowland country. It is often passed through on the way to the Galloway coast, but that sells it short. The town has a real literary pull: Robert Burns spent his final years here, and J. M. Barrie's childhood games at Moat Brae helped feed the world of Peter Pan.
The best day in Dumfries is a slow one. Start with Burns' house and mausoleum, cross the old Devorgilla Bridge, and work through the museums and riverside lanes. The town is compact, a little workaday in places, and more interesting for that; it feels like somewhere Scottish history kept using rather than preserving under glass.
Dumfries also makes a useful base for the Nith estuary and the countryside just beyond town. Caerlaverock Castle, Sweetheart Abbey, and Ellisland Farm are all close enough for a day of castles, abbey ruins, Burns country, and quiet back roads.