Black Maller

The walk up Black Maller rewards you with proper views across Perthshire - nothing dramatic, but the kind of outlook that makes you understand why people stick around this part of Scotland. It's a modest hill rather than a proper mountain, which means you won't spend all day huffing uphill. The summit itself is straightforward to reach and the paths are well-trodden enough that you won't need specialist kit, though decent boots help on the boggy bits.

The appeal here is less about conquering something wild and more about a decent afternoon's ramble with rewarding vistas. History walkers will find the surrounding landscape scattered with traces of old settlements and drove routes - the sort of place where you start spotting patterns once you know to look for them. Families with older kids can manage it without complaint, though younger ones might find the trudge a bit dull. Allow a couple of hours return from Auchterarder, depending on your pace and how long you linger at the top.

If you're based at Alexander House just down the road - barely a third of a mile away - this works perfectly as a morning outing before doing something else. Greenhill Farm Glamping and Broadslap Farm are also close enough that you could fit it into a broader day's exploring of the Ochil Hills without faffing about with drives. It's free and accessible year-round, though winter can make the ground pretty squelchy. Not a destination in itself, but a solid addition to a Perthshire holiday.