Clune Hill

The walk up Clune Hill is a proper no-nonsense slog, but that's exactly why it's worth doing. You get sweeping views across Aberdeenshire from a spot that doesn't pull its punches - no fancy visitor centre, no marked trails with interpretive signs, just you, the hill, and the Highland air.

It's a walker's hill, genuinely. The ascent from Blairgowrie takes a couple of hours if you're moderately fit, and the terrain can be boggy in wet weather, so pick your moment. Families with young kids might find the walk tests patience over the final stretch, though the views from the top are reward enough for anyone who makes it.

There's no admission charge and no visitor facilities to speak of, which keeps the place feeling real and undeveloped. The vistas across the valleys and moorland are the entire point - on a clear day you can see proper distance, and the sense of isolation appeals to hikers after solitude rather than ticking off Instagram spots.

If you're basing yourself at Nethercraig Holiday Park, six miles away, this makes a decent half-day outing. It's the kind of walk that makes sense after a lazy morning - something honest and unpretentious that leaves you genuinely tired and satisfied. Not for everyone, but exactly right if you're after actual Highlands experience rather than polished attractions.