Birken Hill

The walk up Birken Hill rewards you with proper Aberdeenshire views - rolling moorland stretching out toward the Cairngorms, and on a clear day, you can pick out the River Dee winding through Banchory below. It's not a mountain in any serious sense, more a substantial hill walk that takes the best part of an hour or two depending on your pace and where you start from.

This is walker territory, frankly. Families with younger kids might find it a bit of a slog, but teenagers who don't mind a genuine climb will get something out of it. The moorland up there has that raw, open feeling you don't get on flatter ground - it's properly wild without being dangerous. You'll likely have the place mostly to yourself, which is either brilliant or slightly eerie depending on your mood.

Timing-wise, pick a day when the weather's not threatening to close in fast. The views disappear entirely in cloud, and there's not much shelter on the exposed bits. Summer's best, though spring and autumn can be excellent if you catch a clear spell.

If you're staying at one of the local caravan parks - Banchory Lodge and Aboyne Loch are both solid choices - Birken Hill works well as a morning walk before you head down to explore Banchory town itself. It's close enough that you won't waste half a day getting there, but far enough away that it feels like a proper outing rather than a quick stroll around the park.