Creag Righ Tharailt

The walk up Creag Righ Tharailt isn't long, but it feels properly earned. This Cairngorms peak sits just south of Aviemore, offering views that punch well above its modest height. On a clear day you're looking across the Spey Valley towards the Monadhliath Mountains - genuinely striking stuff.

It's a straightforward hill walk rather than a technical climb. The path is marked well enough, though it gets boggy after rain and the final push to the summit demands proper boots. Allow two to three hours there and back, depending on fitness. The real joy is that you won't find crowds up here like you do on the bigger Cairngorms peaks.

Walkers will get the most from this one. It's steep enough to feel like proper exercise but short enough that you're not committing your entire day. Families with older kids would manage it fine; younger ones might find the boggy bits tedious. History enthusiasts won't find much - it's a landscape walk, pure and simple.

If you're based at Dalraddy Holiday Park or anywhere around Aviemore, this works brilliantly as a morning mission before heading elsewhere. The whole area is crisscrossed with better-known hills, but this gives you that Cairngorms experience without the queuing. Go early, bring decent waterproofs, and expect the midges to be enthusiastic in summer.