Cnoc Coinnich

The walk up Cnoc Coinnich is a proper hill rather than a mountain, which makes it exactly right if you want views without spending half the day scrambling. Starting from near Cairndow, you're looking at a couple of hours round trip depending on fitness - nothing too demanding, but the climb is genuine enough that you'll feel you've earned the vista at the top.

What you get when you reach the summit is worth every step: the view sweeps across Loch Fyne and into the Cowal hills beyond, and on a clear day the light plays off the water in a way that makes you understand why people spend their holidays in Argyll. There's a real sense of being somewhere remote without actually being remote - Cairndow is close enough for lunch after.

This works brilliantly if you're based at Drimsynie Holiday Village or Forest Holidays Ardgartan (both within easy driving distance). Families with older kids will get on fine here - younger ones might find the climb tedious. It's not a technical walk, just straightforward hill-walking, so proper boots matter more than climbing skills.

Go midweek if possible. Weekends pull a decent crowd, and the path gets busy enough that you're queuing rather than walking. Best in autumn when the light's warm and the midges have packed in. Allow an afternoon, arrive early, and bring a flask. Mobile signal is patchy, so don't rely on maps on your phone alone.