Firthhope Rig

The walk up Firthhope Rig rewards you with proper views across the Lowlands - nothing fancy, just clean sight lines that stretch for miles on a decent day. It's a modest peak near Moffat, and that's rather the point. You won't fight crowds here like you might on the bigger Cairngorm hills, which makes it ideal if you want a proper walk without the carnival atmosphere.

The ascent itself takes around two hours from the car park, rising through moorland with that distinctive Scottish Lowlands feel - rolling rather than dramatic, but honest. The summit cairn sits at a reasonable height, and on clear days you can pick out distant hills worth naming. It's not a scramble, so families with older kids handle it fine, though younger ones might find it a bit of a slog.

Moffat sits just down the valley, so this works brilliantly as a half-day excursion if you're based at Riverside Holiday Park or staying elsewhere in the area. You'll need proper footwear and a map - the path is decent but not exactly signed like a motorway. Allow three to four hours total including breaks and admiring the view from the top. Go midweek if you can; weekends bring walkers from further afield.

Truth is, if you're after something quick and accessible near Moffat, this scratches the itch without demanding a full expedition. Not Instagram-famous, but that's rather refreshing.