Beinn a' Bhuiridh

The walk up Beinn a' Bhuiridh is properly straightforward if you're starting from Taynuilt - none of that scrambling nonsense you get on some Scottish peaks. It's a tidy hill at 2,100 metres, the sort of climb that takes a couple of hours up and the same back down, which means you're not committing your entire day to it.

What makes it worth doing is the view across Loch Awe on the way up. You can see right down the length of the loch, and on a clear day - and you need a clear day for this one - you get Ben Cruachan looming up to the east. The summit itself isn't dramatic, just heathery moorland with a cairn, but that's rather the point. It's not trying to be anything other than what it is.

This works well if you're staying at Loch Awe Holiday Park nearby. It's close enough for a morning outing without the faff of driving halfway across Argyll, and it gives you proper legs before tackling any of the bigger stuff in the region. Families with older kids will manage it fine - the path is clear and there's nothing steep enough to cause bother. Younger ones might find the moorland a bit dull on the descent.

Go in the afternoon if you can. The light's better, and you'll avoid the morning cloud that sits on these hills like a damp blanket. Free to walk, naturally, and no set hours - it's a Scottish hill, not a theme park.