Craig Liath

Craig Liath sits at 2,400 feet above Ballater, a proper Highland ridge walk that rewards you with views stretching across the Cairngorms. It's not a technical climb - more of a sustained plod up moorland - but the payoff is genuine: wide open skies and the kind of silence you don't get anywhere else.

The approach starts from the south side and takes roughly two to three hours depending on your pace and how long you linger at the top. The terrain is open hill, so good boots matter, and weather can turn quickly even when it looks calm from the car park. On a clear day the vista west towards Braemar is worth every aching quad.

This one's for walkers who actually enjoy walking rather than tourists after a forty-minute stroll. If you're staying at Braemar Caravan Park, it's close enough to make a good half-day mission. Summer is obvious, but autumn scrambles are proper atmospheric when the clouds dip low. Winter requires hillcraft - don't go chasing it in serious snow.

Not a place for young children or anyone hoping for a cafe at the top. Bring water, pack a sandwich, and expect to be properly tired afterwards. It's blunt but true - Craig Liath doesn't pretend to be anything other than a proper hill walk. That's exactly why people come back.