Mona Gowan

The walk up Mona Gowan starts easy enough, which is half the problem - you don't realise how much effort you're about to put in until you're halfway up and the path gets properly steep. It's a granite peak in the Cairngorms area, accessible from Strathdon, and on a clear day the views across the Highland plateau are genuinely worth the graft. The summit itself isn't dramatic or exposed - it's more of a solid, rounded hill than a jagged peak - but that means walkers of moderate fitness can manage it without needing ropes or serious scrambling skills. Allow three to four hours return from the car park, depending on your pace and how often you stop to admire the view back towards the Dee Valley. Families with older kids (say, 10 and up) will do fine if they're used to hills. Younger children might find it a slog. There's no charge for access - this is open moorland, free to roam. Go on a decent weather day; Scottish mist and rain will rob you of the whole point of coming here. If you're camping at Cairngorms Glamping or Howe of Torbeg, both within a few miles, this makes for a proper day out without overcommitting. It's the sort of walk where you feel like you've earned your supper afterwards - straightforward, honest, no nonsense.