Craig Bodlyn

Craig Bodlyn is a proper hill walk rather than a destination you can drive to - it's that sort of upland spike you spot from Dolgellau and wonder about. The peak itself sits at around 600 metres and rewards the slog with views across Cader Idris and the broader Meirionnydd landscape. On a clear day you're looking at the Snowdonia massif, which makes the effort feel worthwhile.

The walk from Dolgellau takes roughly two hours there and back, depending on fitness. It's straightforward rather than technical - steep in places but nothing that requires scrambling gear. Bring proper boots though. Weather changes fast up here and the summit can vanish into cloud even when the valley looks clear.

This is walkers' territory. Families with younger kids might find the gradient tedious, and it's not the sort of hill that offers much beyond the view once you reach the top. No café, no facilities, no shortcuts. That said, if you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks - Shell Island, Graig Wen, or Hendre Mynach - it makes a solid morning activity before you head out for lunch in town.

Go on a settled day. The real appeal is the solitude and the perspective on the surrounding fells rather than any single spectacular feature. It's the sort of walk that feels better in retrospect than it does during the climb, if that makes sense.