Antilly Craig

The walk up Antilly Craig from Aboyne is straightforward enough - nothing that'll have you gasping for breath, but rewarding all the same. It's a proper hill rather than a mountain, which means you can bag the summit without needing technical kit or a dawn start. The views back towards Aboyne and across the Aberdeenshire countryside are the real draw here. On a clear day you get a genuine sense of how the landscape rolls away in all directions, with the Cairngorms sitting on the horizon like a promise.

The approach is moorland walking at its best - heather underfoot, the occasional ptarmigan if you're lucky, and that particular Scottish light that makes everything look better than your photos will manage. Allow a couple of hours return from the road, depending on your pace and how many times you stop to look around. It's a cracking spot for families with older kids who don't mind a bit of a trudge, and hill walkers using Aboyne as a base will find it a useful warm-up before tackling bigger peaks nearby.

If you're staying at Feughside or Aboyne Loch caravan parks - both within four miles - Antilly Craig makes for a solid half-day outing. You won't need permits or tickets; it's just open moorland. Go when the weather's settled. Mist rolls in quickly here and kills the whole point of coming.