Hill of Duchery

The walk up Hill of Duchery rewards you with proper Highland views across Aberdeenshire - nothing fancy, just honest open moorland that stretches for miles. It's a modest peak near Aboyne, the sort of place locals know well but visitors often miss entirely.

The ascent itself is straightforward. You're looking at a solid hour or so of steady climbing through rough grass and heather, with the ground getting boggier as you climb higher. The path isn't particularly well-marked, so you'll need decent navigation skills or a map - this isn't a manicured trail with waymarkers every twenty metres. Once you're up there, you get the real thing: uninterrupted views across the Deeside valley and towards the Cairngorms beyond. On a clear day it's absolutely worth the effort.

Walkers will get far more from this than casual strollers. Kids might find it a long slog without much to see on the way up, though teenagers keen to bag peaks will be fine. The surrounding moorland means you can extend the walk in any direction if you fancy it.

Being free and unrestricted, you can tackle it whenever you like. Early morning or late afternoon works best to avoid the midges. If you're staying at Firbank Park or Aboyne Loch Caravan Park, both excellent bases, you're only a short drive away. It's exactly the sort of walk that makes sense as part of a proper Highland holiday - straightforward, wild, and genuinely good value.