Fothringham Hill

The climb up Fothringham Hill rewards you with proper Highland views across Aberdeenshire, though you'll need to earn them first. Starting from near Forfar, it's a steady trudge rather than a technical scramble - nothing that'll have you scrambling for handholds, but you won't breeze it either.

Once you're up there, the panorama opens out nicely. On a clear day you can pick out the sweep of the landscape rolling towards the Cairngorms. The summit itself is more cairn than dramatic peak, but that's rather the point - this is walkers' territory, not climbers' stuff.

It suits anyone with decent legs and an hour or two to spare. Families with older kids will manage fine if they're used to hills; younger ones might find the walk itself the main event rather than the destination. History enthusiasts should know this area's thick with Bronze Age archaeology - the hill itself has been significant for millennia.

Time your visit for late morning to catch the light properly and beat the afternoon mist that can roll in. Allow a good two hours return if you're not rushing, longer if the views have you lingering. It's the sort of place that works brilliantly as a half-day adventure while based at somewhere like Greenhillock Glamping just down the road - close enough to be convenient, far enough from the main routes to feel properly remote.