Learney Hill

The walk up Learney Hill takes roughly ninety minutes from the car park, and it's a proper leg-stretcher rather than a stroll. The summit sits at 2,296 feet, which means the views across Aberdeenshire's moorland are genuinely worth the climb - on a clear day you can see for miles. The path itself is reasonably well-maintained, though it gets boggy in patches after rain, so decent boots are essential.

This is one for walkers who actually want to feel like they've earned their afternoon. It's not a tick-box Munro-bagging exercise; the terrain is varied enough to keep your legs engaged and your mind off the gradient. Kids aged ten and up will manage it fine if they're used to hills, but younger ones will find it a slog.

It's free to visit, obviously - Scotland doesn't charge you for the privilege of climbing its mountains. The nearest facilities are in West Bandodle, though Greenpark Leisure Ltd is only four miles away if you're basing yourself at a holiday park in the area. The site makes sense as part of a longer walking break in the Highlands; couple it with other peaks in the region rather than treating it as a standalone trip.

Go mid-week if you can. Weekends bring a fair few local walkers, and the car park gets rammed. Early mornings in late spring or early autumn offer the best light and the clearest skies.