Knock Hill

The walk up Knock Hill rewards you with one of the sharpest views in Aberdeenshire, assuming the cloud cooperates. It's not a long trudge - more of a proper afternoon outing from Muir of Fowlis - but the ascent is steep enough to earn the vista. From the summit you get sweeping countryside, moorland stretching away, and on clear days the roll of the landscape back towards the hills proper.

Who'll get most from it? Walkers, definitely. Families with kids who can manage a decent climb. Not the sort of place you drive to and photograph from the car park - you need to actually go up it. The hill itself is moorland, so it's open and exposed; bring waterproofs, the wind can bite and the weather changes quick.

It pairs well with a base at Haughton Holiday Park, just four miles off. That's close enough to make it a half-day walk rather than a full expedition, which suits the park holiday crowd perfectly. You can do Knock Hill in the morning, be back for lunch, then explore the quieter corners of Aberdeenshire after.

Timing-wise, go when you've got several hours of daylight. Summer's best, but autumn when the heather's still decent looks lovely too. The climb takes forty minutes or so, depending on fitness. Allow two hours for the round trip if you're not moving fast, longer if you want to sit at the top and just look around.