Blary Hill

The walk up Blary Hill takes roughly two hours return from Tarbert, and it's genuinely worth the leg work. You're climbing 2,300 feet of Scottish hillside, so come prepared with decent boots and a waterproof - the weather here changes faster than you can say Argyll & Bute.

What you get at the summit is a proper panorama. On a clear day, which admittedly isn't guaranteed in these parts, you can see across the Kintyre Peninsula and towards the Isle of Arran. The climb itself is straightforward rather than technical, making it accessible to anyone with reasonable fitness. Families with older kids will manage it fine, though the younger ones might need a bit of encouragement on the steeper sections.

The hill pulls in walkers and hikers rather than casual strollers - there's no café at the top, no visitor centre, just you and the view. That's precisely why it works. Tarbert itself is only a few miles away, so you can combine this with exploring the harbour town or visiting nearby Muasdale Holiday Park or Killegruer Caravan Site for a proper week based in Kintyre.

Go early if the forecast is decent. The midges can be brutal in late summer, and cloud often rolls in by mid-afternoon. Free to climb, free to enjoy, and honestly a bit of a breath of fresh air compared to the more marketed peaks in the Highlands. Blary Hill doesn't shout about itself, which is rather the point.