Cnoc nan Làrach-cloiche

This small hill near Oban rewards effort with genuine solitude rather than crowds. It's properly steep in places - the kind of walk where you notice your leg muscles on the way down - but the summit sits at just over 700 metres, so it's not a full day's commitment.

What you get at the top is unexpected: open views across the Firth of Lorn and towards the islands, with Mull clear on a decent day. The path itself is rough in sections and can be boggy lower down, especially after rain. Go in decent weather or don't bother - this isn't the walk to attempt when visibility is shot.

Walkers will enjoy it more than families with young children. There's no interpretation board, no café at the summit, no easy shortcuts - just a quiet hill with Argyll spread below you. Most people seem to bypass it entirely in favour of bigger names, which rather suits the place.

The nearest reasonable base is Oban itself, though if you're staying at Argyll Kayaker Cove or Sunnybrae Holiday Park, both just outside town, it makes sense as a morning walk to burn off energy before heading elsewhere. Allow two to three hours for the full thing, longer if you're not a regular hill-walker. There's a car park at the trailhead - nothing fancy, just a pull-in.

Bring waterproofs. The weather changes fast here.