Meal Dubh

The walk up Meal Dubh is short, sharp, and worth doing if you're staying around Dunoon. It's not a long slog - you're looking at maybe an hour there and back from the car park - which makes it crackling good for families who don't fancy a full afternoon on the hills. The summit sits at just over 300 metres, so it's steep enough to feel like proper effort but not so punishing that younger legs will rebel halfway up.

What you get for your trouble is a clear view across the Cowal peninsula and down towards the Firth of Clyde. On a decent day, the visibility is genuinely good - you can see right across to Bute and beyond. The path itself is well-trodden and fairly obvious, though it does get boggy in patches after rain, so proper footwear matters.

If you're camping at Stratheck or The Secret Glen - both within a couple of kilometres - this becomes your easy win when someone in the group needs a walk that won't eat the whole afternoon. It's also the kind of peak that appeals to bagging enthusiasts without demanding serious mountaineering credentials. Locals dog-walk it regularly, which tells you something about the accessibility.

The main caveat: in heavy mist, the views vanish entirely and you're left with bog and bracken. Check the weather before you set out. Summer and early autumn are your best bets - the midges can be vicious otherwise.