Dechmont Law

The walk up Dechmont Law takes you out of Edinburgh's sprawl and onto proper moorland in about twenty minutes from Newbridge. It's not a mountain - more of a bulge on the landscape - but the 261 metres of height gain feels steeper than the numbers suggest, especially if you've left your legs behind in the city.

What you get is a cairn at the top and views that stretch across the Pentland Hills and back towards the Forth. On a clear day, decent. On a grey one - and there will be grey ones - it's moody and atmospheric rather than spectacular. The whole outing, there and back with a breather at the summit, runs to about an hour and a half. Families with younger walkers might take longer; proper hikers will want to knit this into a longer loop with some of the neighbouring peaks.

There's no visitor centre, no café, no facilities. Park near the road and head up. Free, obviously. Best done when the ground's not waterlogged - winter here means bog, not snow.

If you're staying at Linwater Caravan Park nearby, this makes a fine leg-stretcher without eating a whole day. It's the sort of walk that rewards clear weather but remains rewarding anyway - a quick glimpse of what the Lowlands offer beyond the suburbs. Worth the detour if you're already in the area; don't plan a trip specially.