Earl's Hill

The walk up Earl's Hill rewards you with views across Aberdeenshire that stretch for miles - proper Highland scenery once you've made the climb. It's an iron age fort, essentially, with the earthworks still visible if you know what you're looking at. The hillfort sits above Ellon, and on a clear day you can see why the ancients chose this spot to defend their territory.

The summit itself is relatively modest - don't expect dramatic ruins or interpretation panels. What you get instead is the landscape lesson: ditches, ramparts, and the tactical vantage point that made this place strategically sound two thousand years ago. It takes about forty minutes up from the car park, longer if you're not a regular hill walker. The path gets a bit muddy in places, and the final push is reasonably steep for what it is.

History buffs will find this worthwhile; families with young children might struggle with the walk and the lack of visitor facilities. There's not much to do once you're up there except take in the views and contemplate Iron Age life - which, if you're into that sort of thing, is perfectly satisfying.

Free to visit, no time restrictions. If you're based at Ythan Valley Campsite nearby, it's worth adding to a morning's exploring, though don't expect queues or facilities. Go early if the weather's decent - the forecast matters more than the calendar here.