Kenshot Hill

The walk up Kenshot Hill rewards you with proper expansive views across Aberdeenshire once you've earned them. It's not a massive undertaking - the summit sits at a decent height without being properly punishing - but the climb itself is steady enough to feel like actual exercise rather than a stroll.

From the top, you get the kind of view that makes the effort worthwhile: rolling farmland stretches out in every direction, and on a clear day you can see right across to the coast near Montrose. The hill itself is moorland, which means you'll want proper boots if it's been wet, and the wind can pick up something fierce up there.

This is walker territory, really. Families with young kids might struggle unless they're genuinely keen hikers, but anyone who enjoys a proper leg-stretch and doesn't mind being outdoors will find it satisfying. It's the sort of place you go for the movement and the view, not for facilities or attractions at the summit itself.

Getting there takes about thirty to forty minutes from Montrose depending on your pace and which route you take. Since you're in the area anyway - perhaps staying at St Cyrus Holiday Park down the road - it makes a cracking addition to a morning's walking. Pop up, enjoy the vista, head back down for lunch. The whole thing takes two to three hours if you're not hanging around.