Gallow Hill

The walk up Gallow Hill near Leslie takes about forty minutes if you're not dawdling, and on a clear day the views across Aberdeenshire justify every huffing breath. It's a proper hill walk rather than a casual stroll - the path gets steep in places and your legs will know about it - but nothing that requires serious kit or experience.

The summit itself isn't dramatic. You get a cairn, moorland stretching out in all directions, and on good visibility days you can pick out the Don Valley and the Grampians beyond. The name's a bit grim - there's history here, though exactly what remains local knowledge. What matters is that it's genuinely quiet. You'll rarely bump into crowds, which makes it all the more pleasant when you're standing up there catching your breath.

Hughton Holiday Park sits just five miles away and makes a natural base for this kind of walking. It's the sort of hill that works best in spring or autumn when the moorland's less sodden underfoot. Winter gets bleak and visibility drops fast, so leave it for fairer months if you can.

Who gets the most from it? Serious walkers tackling the Aberdeenshire hills, certainly. Families with older kids who don't mind a proper climb. It's not a tourist trap or a destination on its own - more a honest local hill that rewards the effort. Allow two hours for the round trip if you're stopping at the top to take in the view, which you should.