Rotten Hill

The walk up Rotten Hill rewards you with proper moorland views across the Wharfe Valley - nothing fancy, just a decent fell top that doesn't demand a full day of your time. It's a straightforward climb from Skipton direction, taking most people under an hour to the summit, where you'll find yourself looking out over rolling Yorkshire hills with Bolton Abbey and the estate woodlands visible in the distance.

This is a walker's outing, not a sightseeing spectacle. You won't find café facilities or interpretation boards at the top - it's genuinely bare moorland, which is rather the point. The approach is well-trodden enough to follow without faffing about with maps, though the terrain gets boggy after rain. On a clear day it's worth the effort; in cloud, you're essentially paying for a damp walk through heather.

Families with older children and proper hiking legs will get the most from it. Younger kids might find it a bit of a slog for limited payoff. Allow ninety minutes round trip if you're reasonably fit, longer if you like to dawdle and take photos.

It works nicely as a morning outing if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks - Catgill Farm and Bolton Abbey Estate are both within walking distance - leaving you the afternoon for Bolton Abbey itself or a poke around Skipton town. Free to visit, obviously, being a fell top. Worth the detour if you're in the area and the weather's cooperating; not worth planning a trip solely around it.