Knockmountain

The walk up Knockmountain rewards you with proper views across the Clyde Valley - if you can be bothered with the climb. It's a modest hill by Scottish standards, nothing that'll leave you gasping, but the nature reserve aspect means you're walking through decent woodland with a fighting chance of spotting red squirrels if you're quiet about it.

You'll find it near Langbank, which is handily placed between Glasgow and the Clyde coast. The whole outing takes a couple of hours if you're not racing - enough to stretch the legs without eating into your afternoon. Families with reasonably mobile kids won't struggle here, though the younger ones might find it a bit samey through the trees. It's the sort of place you do on a decent day when you want fresh air without committing to Ben Lomond.

The real strength is how it slots into a Loch Lomond trip. You're close enough to Stoneymollan or Lomond Woods (both worth considering for a night or two) without fighting the tourist crowds at Balloch. Do Knockmountain in the morning, lunch in Langbank if there's anything half-decent open, then head to either park for the afternoon. It's not the sort of place that demands a pilgrimage on its own, but as part of a lowlands weekend it ticks a box. The woodland walk beats a caravan site restlessly any day.