Knockteenan

The walk up Knockteenan is steep enough to make your calves complain but short enough that you won't regret it. This modest peak sits just inland from Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway, and on a clear day the views across the Solway Firth and towards the Lake District are genuinely worth the effort.

It's a straightforward hill walk rather than a technical climb - most people manage it in under an hour from the carpark, which means it fits nicely into a holiday itinerary without eating up a whole afternoon. The surrounding countryside rolls gently, and on the way up you get proper rural Scotland without the crowds you'd find further north.

Families with reasonably fit kids will get something out of this. It's not dramatic or long enough to bore teenagers halfway through, and the summit cairn gives that satisfying sense of reaching somewhere. On a grey day, frankly, it's a bit underwhelming - just moorland and a view of not much. Pick decent weather and you're laughing.

If you're staying at Sands of Luce Holiday Park nearby, this makes an easy morning outing before heading to the coast or exploring Stranraer itself. There's no charge to walk it, and no facilities up top, so bring water. The ground can be boggy after rain, so decent boots matter more than you'd think on a hill this size.