Bryn Banon

A modest hill that won't take your breath away - literally or figuratively. Bryn Banon sits near Bala in Gwynedd, offering walkers a straightforward climb with views across the Snowdonia foothills. It's the sort of place you'd tackle in an afternoon, not something requiring proper hiking boots or a dawn start.

The summit gives you a decent vantage point across the local landscape, particularly useful if you're trying to work out where everything else is from up here. There's nothing fancy - no visitor centre, no café, no crowds. Just a hill and a path. That's actually its appeal if you're the type who finds the busier peaks exhausting.

Walkers passing through the area will get the most from it, especially those basing themselves at Tyn Cornel Camping just down the road. It's an easy add-on to a longer day out rather than a destination in its own right. Families with younger children might find it reasonable, though there are more interesting things to do in the Bala area if the weather turns or attention spans waver.

Free to visit, naturally. Allow a couple of hours there and back. Winter's miserable here like everywhere else in North Wales - spring through autumn is genuinely pleasant, though mornings can be damp. Go if you're in the area and want a straightforward walk with a purpose. Don't rearrange your itinerary for it.