Carn Bad a Chreamha

The walk up Carn Bad a Chreamha takes you away from the main tourist drag and into proper wild country. It's a decent hill rather than a mountain - 896 metres if you're counting - and sits just above Kyle in the western Highlands where the landscape starts getting genuinely dramatic. From the summit you get views across towards the Five Sisters of Kintail and down to Loch Duich. The whole thing takes around two hours there and back if you're moving at a reasonable pace. The approach is straightforward enough; paths are decent and you won't need serious scrambling skills. On a clear day it's absolutely worth the leg work. On a midgy August afternoon, you might question your life choices. It's the kind of walk that appeals to experienced hill walkers wanting something less crowded than Ben More but doesn't have the drama that would grab casual walkers. Families could manage it if the kids are decent hikers and moaning isn't your idea of holiday entertainment. Winter's genuinely treacherous though - save it for spring through early autumn. Glenshiel Campsite is only five miles away and makes a sensible base for tackling this and the better-known peaks in the area. The real bonus is you'll likely have the hill largely to yourself, which beats the queues at more famous summits. That solitude is worth the journey from Kyle alone.