Muckle Dod

The walk up Muckle Dod isn't spectacular, but it's honest graft and the views from the top make it worthwhile. You're looking at a proper hill walk from near Hawick, nothing that demands technical kit or years of fell-running experience - just steady legs and decent weather.

It's a straightforward ascent through moorland with the Southern Uplands rolling out in front of you once you get height. On a clear day you can pick out the landscape for miles: a proper sense of being in wild country without the circus that comes with more famous Scottish peaks. The walk takes a couple of hours up and back, depending on your pace and how long you loiter at the top. There's no café, no interpretation boards, no nonsense - just you and the hill.

Walkers will get genuine satisfaction from this one. It's not a trap for Instagram photos or bucket-list ticking. Families with older kids (say, age ten upwards) will manage it fine if they're used to a bit of a trudge, though younger children might find it dull without constant distraction. Bring proper boots and a windproof because the exposed moorland doesn't offer shelter, and Scottish weather has a habit of arriving uninvited.

If you're staying at Stouslie Snugs - the glamping spot just down the road near Hawick - this makes a proper half-day outing. It's the sort of walk that clears your head properly, no commercial faffing about. Worth doing, particularly if the light is good late in the day.