Sodom Hill

The walk up Sodom Hill from Lanark is straightforward enough, though the name alone tends to raise eyebrows. It's a modest peak by Scottish standards - nothing that'll test your legs for hours - but the views across South Lanarkshire justify the climb. You get proper vistas of the surrounding lowlands, and on a clear day the light's rather lovely hitting the valley floor.

This isn't a place for dramatic scenery or dramatic elevation gain. What you get instead is honest countryside: moorland, rough grass, the kind of walk where you can actually chat to someone without gasping for breath. Families with reasonably mobile kids will manage it fine, though younger ones might find it a bit samey once you're up there. Walkers using Lanark as a base will appreciate it as a quick half-day outing rather than an all-day commitment.

Timing-wise, allow two hours return including time to sit about at the top with a flask. Weather matters more than most peaks - wind can bite, and mist rolls in quick in these lowlands. Spring or early autumn work best.

If you're staying at somewhere like Ecosse Glamping nearby, this makes a decent morning sortie before heading elsewhere in the area. It's not the sort of hill that'll stay with you forever, but it's solid, unpretentious, and beats sitting about wondering what to do on a Scottish afternoon.