Birsemore Hill

The walk up Birsemore Hill from Aboyne is deceptively straightforward - it looks like nothing much on the map, but the views across the Aberdeenshire hills justify the climb. On a clear day you can see proper distance, and the granite countryside rolls away in all directions with enough open moorland to feel like genuine wilderness without needing to be a fell runner to get there.

It's not a long haul. Allow ninety minutes to two hours there and back if you're not rushing, which gives you time to catch your breath at the top and actually look around instead of just checking it off. The path's well-trodden enough that you won't lose the way, though it does get boggy in places - proper bog boots weather in winter. Kids over ten will find it manageable; younger ones might grumble about the last steep bit, but they'll manage.

If you're staying at Aboyne Loch Caravan Park or Firbank Park, this is the sort of walk that fills a morning nicely before heading into Aboyne proper for lunch. It's free, obviously - it's a Scottish hill - and there's no entrance fee or time restrictions to worry about. The real draw isn't monuments or facilities; it's the fact you can be on the hill within twenty minutes of leaving your caravan, which beats driving an hour to a more famous peak. Go early if you can, especially in summer when the midges kick in after about four o'clock.