Meall Dail Mìn

The walk up Meall Dail Mìn from Pitlochry is short, sharp, and properly rewarding. You're looking at around 2,000 feet of ascent over a couple of miles, which sounds innocent enough until your legs start complaining halfway up. The views across the Tay Valley open out as you climb, and on a clear day you can see well beyond the immediate hills. It's not a technical scramble or anything - just a steep, relentless push through moorland - but bring decent boots because the ground gets boggy.

This is one for walkers who fancy a morning hill rather than a full day expedition. Families with strong teenagers will manage it fine, but younger kids might find the gradient tedious. There's no visitor centre or facilities at the summit itself, just open hill and views. Allow two to three hours return trip depending on your pace and how long you linger at the top.

If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Blair Castle Caravan Park is the better of the bunch, rated well and close enough for a morning sortie - Meall Dail Mìn works brilliantly as a leg-stretcher between Pitlochry's attractions. You get genuine mountain air without committing to a long Cairngorms trek. The walk's free, obviously. Spring and summer are best when the paths dry out; winter can be proper boggy and unpleasant. Go early to avoid Pitlochry's afternoon crowds.