Craig Coillich

The walk up Craig Coillich from Ballater is a proper hill that rewards you without demanding mountaineering skills. It's roughly 2,000 feet of climbing through mixed woodland and open moorland, taking most people around two to three hours up and back. The views across Royal Deeside are genuinely excellent - you can see the Cairngorms properly from up there, and on a clear day it's the sort of panorama that makes you understand why people are obsessed with this corner of Scotland.

This isn't a tourist attraction in the traditional sense. There's no visitor centre, no cafe, no admission fee. You just turn up and walk. That's rather the point. Families with older kids will find it manageable if they're reasonably fit, though smaller legs will take longer. Serious walkers treating it as a warm-up for bigger peaks won't find it challenging enough. Where it works best is for people who want a genuine hill day without committing to a full alpine expedition.

Ballater is your starting point - it's the proper town to base yourself in if you're combining this with time at Ballater Caravan Park, just a short drive away. If you're staying at Howe of Torbeg or Firbank Park, you're still within easy reach. The route starts from the village and climbs steadily. Allow the best part of a day once you factor in parking and getting yourself ready. Spring through autumn is best - winter can be dodgy underfoot up there. Don't go for the Instagram shot; go for the air and the space.