Great Trowlesworthy Tor

The walk up Great Trowlesworthy Tor is proper granite scramble country. You'll spend the best part of an hour picking your way through boulders and moorland scrub to reach the 1,420-foot summit on Dartmoor, and frankly, the views across Devon make every rough breath worth it.

The tor itself is a mess of craggy rocks stacked like some giant's abandoned toys. On a clear day you can see all the way to the coast, and the heather turns the whole moor purple come late summer. It's the sort of place that photographs better in reality than it does on Instagram - the scale only hits you when you're actually standing there.

Walkers will love this. It's challenging enough to feel earned, but not so technical that you need ropes. Families with older kids manage it fine; younger children might find the final stretch a bit much. You'll want proper boots and a windproof - the Dartmoor weather changes faster than London buses.

There's no entrance fee or facilities, so bring water and don't expect a café at the top. The moorland is open access, which means you can wander at will. Closest town is Plymouth, about twelve miles south, though Dartmoor Domes holiday park sits just three miles away - a decent base if you're planning to spend a few days tackling Dartmoor's peaks.

Go early, go on a settled day, and skip it if the cloud is down. This isn't the sort of walk that rewards bad weather.