Loss Hill

The walk up Loss Hill from Stirling takes about forty minutes if you're not rushing, and the effort pays off completely. You're climbing roughly 300 metres through woodland that opens out onto proper moorland at the top, where the views across Stirlingshire are genuinely excellent - on a clear day you can see Ben Lomond and the Campsies quite distinctly.

It's a straightforward hill walk rather than a technical climb, so families with older kids handle it well, and serious walkers will find it a solid warm-up for the Trossachs peaks. The path is mostly well-maintained, though it can get boggy in patches after rain, so decent boots matter. Allow about two hours return including a proper stop at the summit.

Historically it's interesting too - there's industrial heritage scattered across these slopes from Stirling's iron and coal days, which adds another layer if you're into that sort of thing. The hill itself was probably named after a local family rather than anything spookier, despite what the name suggests.

If you're based at Witches Craig Caravan & Camping Park just 2.2 miles away, this makes a proper half-day outing that won't exhaust you before tackling something bigger. Craighead Howf, five miles north, is equally well-positioned. Go early on weekends - the car park fills up quickly, and the morning light across the moorland is worth catching. Free to visit, and there's a decent café in Stirling town centre to refuel afterwards.