Beinn Phlacaig

The walk up Beinn Phlacaig is a proper wee scramble, nothing too technical but steep enough to earn your views. It's a bare hill - no faffing about with trees or false summits - and the Argyll landscape spreads out below you once you're up there. You're looking across Loch Awe, down toward Taynuilt, with Ben Cruachan dominating the southern horizon. Allow a good two to three hours from the car park and back, depending on fitness. The path isn't signed brilliantly, so go with a map.

Walkers will get the most from this one. It's not a casual stroll - you'll want proper boots and reasonable legs - but it's short enough that even those who aren't mountaineers won't feel out of their depth. Families with older kids, say ten and up who don't mind a bit of graft, could manage it. Young children will likely find the steep bits tedious and the views, whilst stunning, won't hold their attention long enough to justify the effort.

If you're staying at Loch Awe Holiday Park - which sits barely four miles away - this makes an excellent afternoon objective. The Oban site, five miles out, works too, though you'd factor in drive time. Go when the cloud is low elsewhere around Argyll and you might have clearer weather up here. The bare rock dries quickly after rain, which is handy in Scottish spring. Free, obviously. No facilities at the base, so bring water.