Mosshope Bank

The walk up Mosshope Bank rewards you with views across the rolling hills of the southern uplands - nothing dramatic, but proper satisfying if you're based near Moffat. It's a straightforward fell walk that takes about two hours return, starting from the village and climbing steadily through moorland to just over 600 metres. The summit itself is unremarkable - a trig point and a few stones - but on a clear day you can see right across Dumfries and Galloway and into the Lakes beyond. Walkers will get the most from this one. It's the sort of place where you appreciate the journey more than the destination, especially if you're used to the Pennines or Welsh peaks. Families with older kids who don't mind a steady grind will manage it fine, but there's nothing to hold the under-eights' attention once you're past the first twenty minutes of novelty. Go on a dry day - the moorland gets boggy and the path can be muddy. If you're staying at Howslack Farm or one of the other caravan sites clustered around Moffat, this makes a decent morning walk before lunch. It's free, obviously. Allow three hours if you want to potter about at the top and take photos. The Lowther Hills aren't fashionable like the Cairngorms, which means fewer crowds and a genuine sense of doing something under your own steam.