Gallow Hill

The walk up Gallow Hill from Helensburgh is a proper little workout, but the reward is a view that makes you forget your burning legs almost immediately. This isn't a dramatic peak - we're talking around 700 feet - but it's the clarity that gets you. On a decent day you can see right across the Firth of Clyde to Dumbarton Rock and beyond, with the Arrochar Alps forming a decent backdrop if visibility's playing ball.

The path itself is straightforward enough, starting from the edge of town and climbing steadily through woodland before opening out onto the grassy summit. Allow a solid hour up and forty minutes down if you're not rushing. It's the kind of walk that families with older children will manage fine, though it's steep enough that little ones might need cajoling. History buffs will want to know the name comes from darker times - there's been a gallows here - but it's not morbid. Just a piece of the landscape's story.

Worth doing before or after a few days at Rosneath Castle Caravan Park, which sits less than a mile away. The park's got cracking five-star ratings, and being that close means you could knock this walk out on an afternoon without faffing about with long drives. Hunters Quay Holiday Village is five miles down the road if you want something with more amenities. The best time is autumn or early spring when the midges aren't out in force and the light's lovely across the water.