Mammie

The walk up Mammie from Ballater is straightforward and properly rewarding. It's not a slog - the path is well-trodden, the gradient manageable, and from the summit you get a genuine view across the Cairngorms that justifies the effort without requiring mountaineering skills or half a day out of your schedule.

You're looking at roughly two hours up and down, which makes this ideal if you're based at one of the local caravan parks - Howe of Torbeg is barely over a mile away - and want a proper walk without committing to a full expedition. Families with kids aged eight upwards will find their feet here, though younger children might feel it a touch relentless on the way back down.

The view from the top opens up nicely. You can see across to Lochnagar on a clear day, which feels like a proper achievement for minimal technical fuss. The Cairngorms National Park dominates the horizon, and in winter the whole thing takes on a different character entirely - colder, sharper, more serious.

Ballater itself is a neat little town with good facilities and cafes where you can warm up afterwards. If Mammie feels too tame, Ballater Caravan Park sits near enough to Lochnagar for the more ambitious. The peak works best in the shoulder seasons - autumn's clearer than summer's haze, and you'll avoid the summer midges that can make even easy walks miserable. Free to climb, obviously. Just start early.