Craig of Boreland

The walk up Craig of Boreland from Aboyne is a proper little leg-stretcher that doesn't take the mickey with distance but rewards you with proper views across Deeside. You're looking at roughly two hours there and back, depending on fitness, with a steady climb through woodland that opens out onto moorland as you gain height. The summit itself sits at around 300 metres - nothing that'll leave you gasping for air, but enough to feel like you've earned the views down into the valley.

It's the kind of walk that works brilliantly for families with kids old enough to manage a moderate incline without complaints, and for walkers who want their exercise without needing crampons and a rescue team on standby. On a clear day the Cairngorms rear up to the west, and you can trace the line of the Dee winding through the farmland below. Go early or midweek if you can - weekends bring the crowds, which rather diminishes the peaceful feeling of the moorland summit.

Stay at Firbank Park or Aboyne Loch Caravan Park and you're minutes from the trailhead. Both are cracking bases for the Deeside walking scene, and from either you can string together a proper week of varied hills and riverside paths. The walk is free, obviously - it's a Scottish hill, not a theme park - and open year-round, though winter can turn the final approach boggy if it's been wet. Spring through early autumn is your sweet spot.