Mile Hill

The walk up Mile Hill takes about forty-five minutes at a steady pace, and on a clear day the views across Aberdeenshire are genuinely worth the effort. It's not a dramatic peak - you're looking at around 1,000 feet - but the landscape opens up properly once you're near the top, with Blairgowrie sitting below and the Grampians rolling away to the north.

This is walker territory, plain and simple. The route is well-trodden and not technical, so families with kids aged eight and up will manage fine on a dry day. Bring proper boots though - it gets boggy underfoot in places, especially after rain. Older children who've already done a few hills won't find it taxing, but younger ones might get fed up halfway through.

There's no visitor centre or facilities at the summit, so pack snacks and water. The walk is free, naturally, and you can do it any time - early morning is cracking if you want to avoid weekend crowds. Allow two to three hours for the round trip including a breather at the top.

If you're staying at Nethercraig Holiday Park just down the road near Blairgowrie, this makes an excellent morning outing before heading elsewhere. It's the sort of walk that clears your head without eating up your whole day, which is exactly what you want midway through a park holiday.