Craignorth Hill

The walk up Craignorth Hill from Sanquhar is a proper no-nonsense Lowlands slog, but the payoff is genuine. You get views across the moorland that stretch back towards the Southern Uplands, and on a clear day you can pick out the industrial heritage of the town below - old mines, textile mills, the bones of what made this area tick.

It's not a destination for the Instagram crowd. There's no café at the top, no visitors' centre, no interpretive signage. What you get instead is peace and the kind of expansive perspective that reminds you why people bothered walking up Scottish hills long before it became a weekend hobby.

Families with determined walkers will find this worthwhile. The ascent is moderate, nothing that requires scrambling or technical kit, though the paths can be boggy depending on the season. Allow a couple of hours return from town if you're meandering and taking photos. Kids under eight might find it a bit of a trudge without serious bribery.

The real draw is how it fits into a Dumfries & Galloway walking break. Stay at Sunnyside Lodges just four miles away - excellent base - and use this as a morning hill walk before exploring Sanquhar's mining heritage on foot. Come autumn when the moorland shifts colour, or early spring before the midges establish themselves. Winter can be muddy and exposed, so decent boots are non-negotiable.