Ben Ducteach

Ben Ducteach rises sharply from the landscape near Arrochar, and it's a proper slog if you're after a peak bag without the worst of the Arrochar Alps crowds. The walk takes you up a steep hillside with decent views across to the neighbouring mountains once you're high enough - nothing earth-shattering, but solid enough for a morning's outing. On a clear day you'll see across Loch Long towards the Cobbler, though the summit itself is fairly exposed and windswept. Expect perhaps two hours up and ninety minutes back down if you're moving steadily. This is fundamentally a walkers' hill. It won't thrill experienced mountaineers, and anyone after a gentle stroll should look elsewhere, but if you want to add something to your tally without battling tourist crowds, it works. The terrain is boggy in places and can be slippy when wet, so proper boots matter. Come early in the day - late afternoon means descending in poor light, which isn't fun on loose ground. If you're based at Beinglas Campsite just down the road, you've got everything you need for a self-catering trip with decent walking on your doorstep. Loch Lomond Holiday Park is slightly further but better-equipped if you want a bit more comfort. Both give you access to genuinely good mountain scenery without the infrastructure overkill of busier Loch Lomond spots. Ben Ducteach itself isn't a destination in its own right - it's the sort of hill you climb because you're in the area and the weather's decent.