Meall Donn

Getting up Meall Donn is a proper hill walk rather than a casual stroll, and that's exactly what makes it worth doing. This 528-metre peak sits in the Highland landscape between Inverness and the wider Cairngorms, offering something straightforward enough for keen walkers but demanding enough to feel like you've actually achieved something.

The ascent takes roughly two hours depending on your pace and the path conditions. On a clear day the views sweep across the Moray Firth and back towards Ben Wyvis - genuinely impressive for a relatively modest height. The summit itself is a bit anti-climactic, truth be told (a small cairn and not much else), but the walk there and back is the proper draw.

This is one for people who actually want to walk, not those after an Instagram moment. You'll see very few casual visitors, which is rather the point. Families with older kids would manage it fine, though younger legs might struggle with the steepness in places.

If you're based at Loch Ness Shores Camping and Caravanning Club Site just outside Inverness, Meall Donn makes a solid half-day outing - close enough that you're not wasting time driving, far enough that you get proper mountain air in your lungs. Go early, bring waterproofs (this is the Highlands), and don't expect a café at the top. Admission's free, obviously - it's a Scottish hill.