Gala Law

The walk up Gala Law takes about forty minutes from the car park near Hawick, and it's steep enough that you'll feel it in your legs but not so brutal you can't chat on the way up. The views from the 578-metre summit are genuinely worth the huff and puff - you get rolling Borders countryside spreading out in all directions, with the Tweed Valley proper visible on a clear day.

It's a straightforward hill walk, nothing technical, and the path is well-trodden enough that you won't get lost. Families with older kids will manage it fine; younger ones might find the final push tedious. On a quiet weekday you could have the place virtually to yourself, which is exactly when it's best. Weekends bring more people, but nothing like the Scottish peaks further north.

This is free, naturally, and you can be back in Hawick town centre within two hours if you're not lingering. The path itself is exposed in places, so wind can be a proper nuisance - go on a calm day if you can. Midweek mornings tend to be clearest for views.

If you're staying at Stouslie Snugs Luxury Farm Glamping just down the road, this makes an easy morning outing before lunch. The Borders have character without the tourist overload of the Highlands, and this modest peak is exactly the sort of thing that makes a quiet week here work. Not Instagram-famous, just a solid walk with decent vistas and no crowds.