Clashenteple Hill

The walk up Clashenteple Hill isn't long, but it delivers proper Highland views without the grind of something like Lochnagar. You're looking at maybe an hour up and back from Strathdon, which sits in the Don Valley - one of those quiet corner-of-Aberdeenshire places where tourism hasn't completely taken over. The summit itself is bare and windy, the sort of spot where the weather can change while you're still catching your breath. On a clear day you get the Cairngorms spread out to the southwest, and that's when you understand why people bother with these smaller peaks at all.

It's cracking for families who want a proper hill experience without committing to a full day in the mountains. Kids with reasonable legs won't struggle. History types will get a kick out of the fact you're walking through old Deeside country - there's genuine Scottish history up here, though not much signposted. Strathdon itself is tiny and more or less unmarked, so you're not fighting crowds of hikers.

If you're based at Cairngorms Glamping & Campsite, only three miles down the road, this works as a morning jaunt before settling in for the afternoon. The whole area rewards wandering - the Don Valley has that quiet appeal that draws people away from the busier glens. Go when the midges aren't out, which rules most of summer, and wear something windproof. It's modest but genuine.