Guardswell Hil

The walk up Guardswell Hill from Perth takes you straight into proper Perthshire countryside without needing to travel far. It's a modest peak - nothing Alpine about it - but the climb rewards you with a decent sweep across the Tay valley and the surrounding hills. The whole thing takes a couple of hours at a steady pace, and you're not scrambling or anything technical. Just good footpath walking.

This is the sort of outing that suits walkers more than casual visitors. You won't find a café or visitor centre at the top, so bring water and a sandwich if you want to stop properly. Families with school-age kids will manage fine, though younger ones might find the walk a bit much. The real pleasure here is the solitude and the views - you're not fighting crowds or queuing for anything.

Being so close to Perth means you could easily slot this into a broader Perthshire walking holiday. If you're camping or caravanning, South Valleyfield Certificated Site sits just a couple of miles away, though it's members-only and doesn't take tents. The hill works best as a morning walk before exploring Perth's town centre or heading out to explore bigger peaks elsewhere in the region. Worth doing if you're in the area, but don't plan a whole trip around it.