Cow Hill

The walk up Cow Hill, just outside Biggar, is one of those Scottish Lowlands outings that sneaks up on you - modest height, genuine reward. It's barely 400 metres, but the climb is steady enough that you feel like you've earned the views across South Lanarkshire when you reach the top.

You get proper panoramic stuff from up there: rolling farmland, distant hills, and on a clear day the kind of visibility that makes you wonder why you don't do this more often. The path itself is straightforward, no scrambling required, so it works for families with older kids and anyone who fancies a proper walk without the technical faff.

It's free, naturally, and you can do the whole thing in an hour including a breather at the summit. Go in decent weather - the wind can pick up and the Scottish mist isn't kind to anyone hoping for those views. Morning light is better than afternoon, and avoid it after rain because the path gets boggy.

If you're based at Mount View Caravan Park nearby, this is exactly the sort of leg-stretch that makes a caravan holiday actually work. Close enough that you're not burning half a tank driving there, proper enough that you've got something to show for it. It's not dramatic in the way Ben Lomond is, but that's rather the point - this is honest, uncomplicated walking country, and sometimes that's exactly what you need.