Bin of Cullen

The walk up Bin of Cullen takes you from the fishing village of Cullen into proper hill country without too much faffing about. It's a modest peak by Highland standards - nothing that'll leave you gasping - but the views across the Moray Firth and down the Aberdeenshire coast are genuinely worth the climb. On a clear day you can see right out to sea, with Buckie and the working fishing villages spread below like a map.

This is one for walkers rather than casual strollers. The path itself is straightforward enough, but it's steep enough in places that you'll earn the summit. Give yourself an hour up, maybe forty minutes down if you're not hanging about. Families with older kids will manage fine; younger ones might grumble on the steeper bits.

What makes it work is the route back - you can loop through farmland and woodland rather than retracing your steps, which keeps things interesting. The whole outing, done properly, takes a couple of hours from the car park near Cullen. Free to visit, of course, like most Scottish hills.

If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Greencraig Pods is closest at under three miles, or Sandend Holidays if you're after a longer stay in the warmer months - Bin of Cullen slots perfectly into a morning walk before heading to the coast. It's not a destination in itself, but it's the sort of hill that makes a park holiday feel properly active rather than flat and coastal.