Scrabo Hill

The tower at the top is what catches your eye first - a chunky grey stone structure that's been watching over Belfast since 1870. Scrabo Hill itself rises sharply above Newtownards, about eight miles east of Belfast, and the walk up takes twenty minutes if you're moderately fit, longer if you dawdle and keep stopping to look back at the city spreading out below.

Once you're up there, the views are genuinely the thing. You get the whole of Belfast Lough, the shipyard cranes in the distance, and on a clear day you can see right across to the Antrim Hills. The tower itself is closed to the public these days, which is disappointing if you were hoping to climb it, but the grounds are open and free to wander. There's a small car park at the base, so you don't have to trek from the road if your legs aren't up for it.

Families with younger kids will manage the walk fine, though it's steep enough that anyone struggling with hills might find it a grind. It's the sort of place where you spend an hour, maybe ninety minutes if you're the type to sit and soak it in. History enthusiasts will appreciate the views of the industrial landscape below - this is proper shipbuilding country.

Stay at The Pods at Streamvale just down the road and you've got a cracking base. The nearby Dundonald Touring Caravan Park is equally convenient. Either way, Scrabo Hill pairs well with exploring Newtownards itself, which has genuine character without the crowds you'll fight in central Belfast.