Outdoors: Enjoy Cairnpapple Hill's archaeological mystery and magical views

There are some things which are virtually guaranteed to get a negative reaction from a teenager. "Do you want to come and visit an archaeological site?" being somewhere high on that list, judging by Betty's face when I put that question to her.

Luckily, not being a teenager, Ellen didn't have the option not to come with me and so we set off for Cairnpapple Hill, just outside Linlithgow. It was a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky, and as we drove further and further up the winding road, we couldn't identify any hill in particular. And that's one of the odd things about Cairnpapple - while it is virtually impossible to see from below, when you are there it must have one of the most amazing views in Scotland. We could see Bass Rock in one direction, Goat Fell on Arran in another and to the north was Ben Ledi and various other mountains. I was gobsmacked.

The site on Cairnpapple is so old that much of what is understood about its history is speculation. Originally a henge (pre-dating Stonehenge) and used for ceremonies, at some point around 5,000 years ago it then became a burial ground. There is an arc of seven little pits in which cremated human remains were found when excavations first took place in 1947, and a mound has been built over a grave which is in remarkably good nick.

Christine in the little information centre was a fount of knowledge, talking to visitors about Cairnpapple although admitting that "there's much more we don't know than we do". They aim to make it as family-friendly as possible. Picnics are encouraged, children advised of the best slopes to roll down and questionnaires given to those who are big enough to read and write. Dogs are welcome too, and whatever vibe was being given off by the old bones had Daniel the spaniel running around even more dementedly than usual.

Although access to Cairnpapple is year-round, the visitor centre is only open from April to 30 September with guided tours on Tuesdays and Fridays (11am and 2pm) at a small cost. However, next weekend (25 and 26 September), as part of West Lothian Walking Week, there are all sorts of events and demonstrations organised, including aerial kite photography.

Practise your James Cagney impersonation, go to Cairnpapple and shout "Hey mom, I'm on top of the world". Because that's how you'll feel.

Cairnpapple Hill is about 3km after Beecraigs Country Park just outside Linlithgow. Adult 3.70, child 2.20, concession 3, www.historic-scotland.gov.uk

This article was first published in The Scotsman on Saturday, 18 September, 2010