Carreg Cennen

The walk up to Carreg Cennen Castle will knacker your legs. It's proper steep - about 300 metres of elevation gain over less than a mile - but the payoff is absolutely worth it. You're climbing towards a 12th-century fortress perched on a crag above the Towy Valley near Llandeilo, and the views only get better as you gain height.

Once you reach the summit, you're standing in the ruins of a medieval stronghold with sight lines that stretch across Carmarthenshire. The castle itself is skeletal - walls, fragments of towers, the sense of it rather than the full structure - but that's part of its appeal. There's space to properly explore without feeling crowded. If you're into history and landscape in equal measure, this is a cracking spot.

The walk takes about 45 minutes each way at a steady pace, longer if you want to poke around the ruins properly. It's free to visit, no gatehouse or entrance fee. Go on a clear day - in mist, you're paying good money in effort for views of absolutely nothing. Spring and early summer work best before the bracken gets too high and the heat makes the climb properly grim.

If you're camping nearby - Gelli Glamping is just over a mile away, Llandyfan Camping at two miles - this works as a half-day activity. Pair it with a wander around Llandeilo itself or another walk in the Black Mountains. Solo hikers and fit families will get the most from it. It's not a casual stroll, and the payoff is landscape and solitude rather than facilities or interpretation.