Sròn Aonghais

The walk up Sròn Aonghais from Strathdon is one of those Scottish hill climbs that rewards you properly without demanding you've brought mountaineering gear. It's a tidy peak in the Cairngorms foothills, sitting at just over 2,000 feet, and the views south towards the Dee Valley are genuinely worth the effort.

The ascent takes a couple of hours from the village, depending on your pace and how many times you stop to catch your breath or take photographs. The terrain is manageable - grassy moorland mostly, with the occasional boggy patch if you hit it after rain. On a clear day you'll see for miles, with the Cairngorms proper rising up to the west and farmland rolling away below.

It's the sort of walk hill walkers will fit into a Cairngorms holiday without breaking a sweat, though families with younger legs might find it a bit long. The real advantage is that it's far less crowded than the better-known peaks around Braemar, so if you're staying at Cairngorms Glamping & Campsite nearby, this makes a cracking alternative to fighting for space on the honeypot routes.

There's nothing fancy up there - no cafe, no visitor centre, just you and the Highland air. It's free, naturally, and you can start whenever suits you. The best light tends to be late morning through early afternoon. Waterproofs aren't optional even when the forecast looks promising, and proper walking boots beat trainers every time on ground this wet.