Forget castles, abbeys and stately homes. If you are looking for a place where the landscape breathes ancient history, head for mid Argyll and the valley of ghosts that is Kilmartin Glen.

While much of the region is a jagged landscape of peaks and troughs, the area below the village of Kilmartin is flat, fertile, and littered with clues about its past, from standing stones to cairns and mysterious rock carvings.

There are more than 800 historic and prehistoric sites within six miles of the village, with the imposing standing stones at Ballymeanoch and Temple Wood worth a particular stop.

At the hill fort of Dunadd you can see carved footprints believed to have been linked to an ancient coronation ceremony, and in Kilmartin's churchyard, the skills of medieval stone masons can be seen on crosses and gravestones - the patterns they created still familiar on Celtic jewellery today.

These strands of history are impressive in isolation, and all the more captivating when woven together, as they are at the family-friendly Kilmartin House Museum, where the hands-on exhibits and artefacts, and particularly an evocative introductory film, explore the relationship between people and the land.

Run by a charitable trust, the museum is partly supported by the income from its cafe, which is sited in a converted barn and attached conservatory almost as lovely as the lush green countryside that surrounds it.

In fact, the word 'conservatory' doesn't do justice to the space, which is shaped from beams of green oak as well as glass, and has a magical light and atmosphere.

In the foreground it overlooks a colourful strip of cottage garden, with the Glebe Cairn - a mound of stones that is in fact a bronze aged burial site - the main focus of the view, behind.

The whole operation seems to be run with an eye for the attractive, from the wicker stair panels to chunky white teapots with wooden lids, and the rainbow salad topped with edible flowers (red nasturtiums and blue borage on this occasion). And it's a small thing, but it is nice to have sugar presented loose, in a sculpted wooden bowl, as opposed to the usual paper packets. 

A sense of connecting the present with the past may be what sets this cafe and the museum apart, but the food tasted nothing but fresh, and though it was difficult to make a decision from the tempting range of cakes, the date slice - with a ginger kick - was a good choice.

Fortunately, it's also possible to buy treats to take away, so a perfectly moist lemon and lime cake can be recommended as well.

Info: Kilmartin Museum and cafe are open from March 1 until December 23. The cafe is open from 10am to 5pm daily from March 1 to October 31, with shorter opening times outside these dates. More details and full opening hours on Facebook, and shortly, at www.kilmartin.org.

Getting there: Kilmartin is on the A816 north of Lochgilphead, about two hours west of Glasgow.

Mini menu: Pot of tea £1.90, latte £2.50, cakes £2.50, puddings (e.g. walnut and salted caramel tart) £4.25 (dessert menu changes daily).

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