Heatherstane Law

The walk up Heatherstane Law from near Biggar is short, steep, and properly rewarding. You're looking at maybe forty minutes to the summit if you're not dawdling, and the views across South Lanarkshire open up quickly once you've gained height. The peak itself sits at around 2,000 feet - nothing alpine, but high enough that you can see where you've come from and where you're going next.

It's the kind of walk that suits families with older kids or anyone after a quick leg-stretch rather than an all-day mission. The terrain's rough in places but nothing technical. On a clear day the Pentlands rise up in the distance, and Tinto Hill gets a look-in too if you know where to stare. The real draw here is the efficiency of it - proper hills don't always need to swallow your afternoon.

If you're based at Mount View Caravan Park just down the way, this makes an excellent half-day out. Go early if you can; the heather gives the place its name but it's the open grassland that dominates, and in decent light that landscape just keeps rolling. There's nothing touristy about it, which is exactly the point. No facilities on the hill itself - bring water and start in good weather. The walk's free, obviously. Most visitors allow ninety minutes for the round trip if they're taking photographs, which you will be.