Hill of Shenwall

The walk up Hill of Shenwall takes you through proper Aberdeenshire moorland, and on a clear day the views across the Highlands are genuinely worth the legwork. It's not a massive peak - nothing like Ben Nevis - but that's partly why it works. The path is manageable for most fitness levels, taking somewhere around an hour to reach the top depending on your pace.

What you get at the summit is a panoramic sweep across rolling hills and distant glens. On my visit, the light was moving across the landscape in that particular way it does in the north of Scotland - dramatic and ever-changing. Bring a thermos. The wind can bite up there.

This is a walkers' walk rather than a tourist attraction with facilities or interpretation boards. There's no café, no visitor centre, no entry fee. Just you, the hill, and the scenery. That's precisely the appeal if you're after some proper fresh air between trips to Huntly Castle Holiday Park or Hillhead Hideaways.

Keith, the nearest town just down the way, is useful for supplies and a decent pub afterwards. The whole outing fits neatly into a Highlands holiday - it's not demanding enough to dominate your day, but rewarding enough to make you feel you've actually done something. Families with older kids will manage it fine; younger ones might find the moorland a bit bleak on a grey day.