Bryn Y Fron

The walk up Bryn Y Fron isn't long, but it's steep enough to make your calves remind you of it the next morning. This modest peak sits above Ruthin in Denbighshire, and from the top you get proper views across the Vale of Clwyd - the kind of outlook that makes sense of why people settle in North Wales. The summit itself is open moorland, nothing fancy, but that's rather the point. You're looking at rolled-up countryside in every direction, and on a clear day it's genuinely striking.

It works best for walkers who aren't after a full day's expedition. An hour up, half an hour pottering about, then back down and you're done. Kids will manage it if they're used to hills, though complaining is likely somewhere around the halfway mark. This isn't a destination that'll hold your attention for hours - you come for the walk and the view, then you leave. That's fine. Not every outing needs to be a whole day.

If you're staying at Clwydian Glamping Pods and Campsite nearby, it's a natural morning mission before heading elsewhere. The weather makes or breaks it - rain turns it into grey tedium, but catch it on a decent day and you'll wonder why more people aren't up here. Ruthin itself has shops and a decent lunch spot or two if you fancy refuelling afterwards.