Green Hill

The walk up Green Hill takes roughly 45 minutes from the car park near Huntly, and it's the sort of climb that leaves you properly breathless but grinning by the top. The views across Aberdeenshire are what you're after here - on a clear day you can see for miles, rolling moorland and distant hills stretching out until they blur into the horizon. It's not dramatic or jagged; more gently muscular, the kind of landscape that gets under your skin.

The summit itself is straightforward - no scrambling, no technical bits. That makes it accessible for families with older kids, and for walkers who want to bag a decent viewpoint without the full Highland slog. Bring decent boots though; the path can be boggy depending on weather. Local hikers reckon it's worth the detour if you're staying in the area, though it won't blow your mind if you've already tackled bigger peaks elsewhere.

Timing-wise, allow two to three hours for the round trip with a breather at the top. Early morning beats mid-afternoon when cloud tends to roll in. Free to visit, naturally, being a Scottish hill.

If you're basing yourself at Greenhillock Glamping or Huntly Castle Holiday Park, Green Hill makes a solid morning or afternoon outing that won't eat your whole day. Huntly itself is worth a potter around afterwards - proper little market town with decent cafes.