Bald Hill

The walk up Bald Hill rewards you with one of those rare Scottish vistas that genuinely stops you mid-stride. It's a bare-topped peak near Auchterarder, and once you've climbed past the scrubby lower slopes, the Perthshire landscape unfolds in every direction - proper stuff, with the Ochils rolling away eastward and the Tay valley spreading below.

It's not a technical climb. Maybe forty minutes from the car park if you're moving steadily, perhaps longer if you stop to breathe or take photographs. The hill's nakedness is its appeal - no tree cover to block the view, just bracken and grass and that wide-open feeling you only get on Scottish summits. On a clear day, the perspective across Strathearn is excellent.

This works best for walkers with decent fitness who want something achievable but proper rather than a gentle stroll. Families with older kids will manage fine; younger children might find the ascent tedious. There's nothing fancy at the top - no café, no shelter beyond a broken-down ruin, so bring wind-proof layers and weather sense.

The nearest town is Auchterarder, a solid enough stop for supplies, though Stirling and Perth offer more if you're staying a few days. If you're basing yourself at Alexander House in Perthshire, Bald Hill works as a solid half-day outing - it doesn't demand a full expedition, yet it delivers real views. Time it for late afternoon if the light's right; the western exposure makes it special in golden hour.