Carn Tarsuinn Beag

You'll find Carn Tarsuinn Beag lurking in the hills above Fort Augustus, a modest peak that doesn't announce itself loudly but rewards those who bother to trek up. It's a Corbett - that peculiar Scottish classification for mountains between 2,500 and 3,000 feet - and the walk takes roughly two to three hours depending on your pace and the conditions underfoot.

The actual climb is straightforward rather than dramatic. You're not dealing with technical scrambling or exposure that'd make your stomach flip, which means reasonably fit walkers and confident families can manage it without specialist gear. The real draw is what you see from the top: proper Highland views across lochs and glens, with Ben Nevis visible on a clear day. Fort Augustus sits below like a toy town, and if you've got the weather, you can trace Loch Ness stretching away to the northeast.

Worth the effort? If you're staying at Loch Ness Holiday Park or Inver Coille Camping just down the road, absolutely. It's the kind of hill that justifies a morning out without demanding your entire day. Go early to avoid the afternoon cloud that rolls in regularly, and bring waterproofs even when the forecast looks promising - this is the Highlands, after all.

It doesn't have the prestige of Ben Nevis or the drama of the Cuillin, but that's rather the point. You'll have the hillside mostly to yourself, and sometimes that matters more than ticking off the famous names.