Kempstone Hill

The walk up Kempstone Hill from Stonehaven takes about forty minutes if you're moving at a decent pace, and it's steep enough that you'll feel it in your legs by the halfway point. What you get for the effort is proper Scottish hill country without needing to drive hours inland - the summit sits just over 300 metres, which means views across the North Sea on clear days and back towards the granite outcrops of Aberdeenshire. On a windy afternoon I was up there with maybe three other people, which tells you something about how quiet it stays even when the Stonehaven seafront's rammed with tourists.

It's a walker's hill more than anything else. Families with younger kids might find the climb a bit relentless, and there's nothing at the top except the view - no cafe, no shelter, no "Instagram moment" structure. But if you've got teenagers who can handle a genuine incline, or you're after a proper leg-stretcher between park days, it works well. The path is reasonably clear and the moorland terrain keeps things interesting.

Stay at Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park - it's only 1.9 miles away and they're fully booked in summer for a reason. A morning hike here before breakfast, then back to the caravan for elevenses, sits nicely into a week's routine. The town itself has the harbour and decent fish and chips if you need feeding afterwards. Free to access, and you can do it in two hours total including a proper sit-down at the top.