Dun Moss

The walk up Dun Moss from Moffat takes you through proper moorland that feels wilder than the hills have any right to be this close to a town. It's not particularly high - 686 metres - but the approach through open country gives you that genuine sense of heading somewhere remote, even though you're never really more than a stroll from civilisation.

The summit itself is straightforward enough. You get decent views across the Southern Uplands, and on a clear day you can pick out ridges and valleys rolling away in every direction. The moorland is classic Scottish Lowlands terrain: heather, grass, the occasional rocky outcrop. Nothing dramatic, but genuinely pleasant if you like walking without the fuss of scrambling.

This is walker territory pure and simple. Families with older kids will manage it fine, but it's not the sort of place that'll hold the under-tens' attention if they're not into being outdoors for its own sake. Allow two to three hours for a straightforward up-and-down, depending on your pace and how much you fancy lingering at the top.

If you're based at Moffat Camping and Caravanning Club Site - which sits a solid 5.3 miles away - Dun Moss makes a cracking afternoon outing. It's close enough to do without it dominating your day, but proper enough to feel like you've actually done something. Moffat itself has the essentials for supplies and a warm drink afterwards, which never goes amiss. Free to access, naturally, like most Scottish hills.