Slogarie (Sliabh Garaidh)

The walk up Slogarie takes you through proper moorland, climbing to just over 1,800 feet with views that stretch across Dumfries and Galloway in every direction. It's not a technical climb - more of a steady trudge through heather and rough grass - but the effort pays off once you're up there.

On a clear day you can see right down to the Solway Firth and across to the Lake District fells. In poor visibility, admittedly, you're just standing in cloud wondering why you bothered. The walk itself takes a couple of hours return from Castle Douglas, depending on your pace and fitness.

This suits walkers who want something real but not too demanding, and anyone after proper hill air without needing mountaineering skills. Families with older kids will manage it fine; younger children might find the featureless moorland a bit dull once they've caught their breath at the top.

It's free, obviously - you're climbing a Scottish hillside. Go in decent weather though. Dumfries and Galloway can throw rain at you without warning, and moorland gets bleak fast when the visibility drops. If you're based at Loch Ken Holiday Park just down the road, this makes an excellent half-day walk. The loch itself offers alternatives if the weather turns sour - it's pleasant enough for families but the hill's the real draw here.