Carn Bán

The walk up Carn Bán from Dunoon is one of those climbs that looks modest on the map but delivers proper views once you're at the top. It's not a technical scramble - more a straightforward hill walk that takes about two hours up and back - but the Cowal Peninsula spreads out beneath you in a way that makes the effort worthwhile.

You get panoramic sight lines across the Firth of Clyde, with the Isle of Bute sitting there like a green thumbprint on the water. On a clear day the view extends far enough to make you understand why people have been walking this hill for centuries. The summit itself is modest - no trig point or obvious marker - but the cairn gives you somewhere to sit and take stock.

Walkers will get the most from this. It's not a destination with facilities or exhibits, just a proper Scottish hillside with decent vistas. Families with energetic kids aged ten upwards would manage it fine, though younger ones might find the ascent tedious. Allow a full afternoon if you're based near Dunoon, and pick a day when the weather's cooperating - mist rolls in quickly here and ruins the whole point of the climb.

Stay at Loch Eck Caravan Park or Stratheck Holiday Park nearby and you're well-positioned for exploring the Cowal's walking routes. Carn Bán works as a morning objective before heading to the loch for a lazy afternoon, or as an evening climb if you've the daylight.