Moel Emoel

The walk up Moel Emoel isn't exactly a scramble, but it's steep enough to make you feel like you've earned the view at the top. From Bala, it's a proper hill rather than a mountain - around 500 metres - so most people can manage it in under two hours there and back. The path winds through moorland and forest, and on a clear day you get that satisfying moment where Bala Lake spreads out below you like a map.

It's the kind of walk walkers come to North Wales for: genuine but not brutal, with good views without needing specialist kit. Families with older kids will get something from it. Younger ones might find the moorland section a bit dull - no scrambling, no water features, just steady uphill trudging. The summit itself is modest rather than dramatic, more of a vantage point than a destination.

Based near Bala, you've got Tyn Cornel Camping close by if you're staying in the area - well placed for making this walk a morning outing before heading to other Snowdonia routes. Go midweek if you can; weekends pull in more traffic, and car parks fill early. The walk's good year-round, though winter rain can make the lower slopes muddy. Allow three hours if you're taking photos and lingering at the top. Worth doing once. Not the kind of peak you'll be dreaming about weeks later, but a solid morning's graft with decent views.