Muckle Hill

Muckle Hill rises above the Moray landscape like a proper punctuation mark on the horizon - nothing towering, but commanding enough to draw your eye from Forres. It's a straightforward hill walk rather than a serious scramble, which means you can knock it out in a couple of hours without needing crampons or a sponsorship deal.

The summit rewards you with views across the Highlands that stretch towards the Cairngorms on a clear day. On the way up, the ground changes from farmland to moorland, and you'll likely have the place to yourself unless the weather's particularly spectacular. The path itself is well-trodden but not babied - it's genuine hillwalking, not a manicured nature trail.

Families with older kids will manage it fine. Younger ones might find the ascent tedious without the payoff of a dramatic peak or a café at the top. Proper hikers working their way through the Highlands will view it as a useful half-day filler between bigger objectives, which is fair enough.

Forres sits just down the road, making this a realistic addition to a longer Scottish holiday. The Loft Glamping & Camping is only a few miles away, giving you proper accommodation that doesn't involve a tent if wet weather rolls in. Combine it with walks in the nearby glens and you've got a solid weekend of getting properly outside. Go on a clear morning and you'll understand why folk keep coming back to this corner of Aberdeenshire.