Firtree Hill

The walk up Firtree Hill from Lockerbie takes you out of the town proper and into proper rolling moorland - it's the kind of landscape that makes you remember why people bother with the Scottish Lowlands in the first place. The summit itself isn't dramatic, but the views across Dumfries and Galloway open up once you're up there, and on a clear day you can see for miles. Takes about an hour or so to get to the top, depending on fitness and how many times you stop for photos.

Walkers will find this genuinely worthwhile. It's not a slog, and the paths are decent enough. Families with kids aged eight and up would manage it without complaint, though younger ones might flag. The real pull is that sense of space - no queue, no gift shop, just you and the hill. Free to access and you can start whenever suits you.

If you're based at Halleaths Caravan Park nearby, this works as a solid half-day outing before lunch or after breakfast. It's the sort of walk that gives you an appetite. Worth timing your visit for decent weather though - when the cloud comes in, you're essentially walking up a hillside for no view, which rather defeats the object. Spring through early autumn is your sweet spot.