Beinn Nuis

The walk up Beinn Nuis is a proper leg-burner, but that's rather the point. This 792-metre peak on the Isle of Arran rewards the effort with views across the Firth of Clyde that stretch all the way to the Scottish mainland when conditions are right.

You're looking at a straightforward ascent from the glen below - nothing technical, just persistent. The path winds through moorland dotted with heather, and the higher you climb, the more the industrial landscape of North Ayrshire falls away. On a clear day the vista opens up dramatically: the peaks of Goat Fell and Caisteal Abhail dominate to the north, while south you can trace the coast back towards Arran's smaller villages.

Walkers make up the bulk of visitors here. It's not a scramble or a rock-climbing proposition, so families with decent fitness levels manage it fine. Allow three to four hours for the round trip depending on pace. The summit itself is windswept but oddly satisfying - the kind of place where you sit about eating a sandwich feeling proper chuffed with yourself.

If you're based at Kings Caves Glamping just six miles away, this makes an excellent half-day excursion. Better yet, pair it with other Arran peaks rather than treating it as a standalone trip. The island's got brilliant walking infrastructure, and this climb sits nicely within a broader exploration of the range.

Go midweek in spring or autumn if you can. Summer weekends pull crowds, and winter conditions can be slippery underfoot.