Ben Chonzie

Ben Chonzie rises to 2,559 metres above the Perthshire landscape near Crieff, and it's the sort of hill that rewards effort without demanding mountaineering experience. The walk up takes most people between three and four hours depending on fitness and which route you tackle - the main approach from the car park at Glen Ledhnock is straightforward enough, gaining height gradually through moorland before the final push to the summit. On a clear day, the view south across the Tay Valley and beyond is properly expansive; on a hazy one, you're basically walking through cloud. Worth doing? Absolutely, especially if you're basing yourself at one of the nearby holiday parks like Comrie Croft or Twenty Shilling Wood. These are within half an hour's drive, making Ben Chonzie a decent half-day outing that doesn't require leaving the region. The terrain is rough in places - watch your footing on descent - and midges can be relentless in summer, so pick your weather window. Families with teenagers and competent young walkers will manage fine; under-tens might find the length tedious. The hill's crown is a bare, windswept place with a trig point - no shelter, no facilities, just stone and sky. Bring a packed lunch and water. It's a proper hill walk rather than a gentle ramble, and that's precisely what makes it worth the schlep from Crieff.