The Peat Hill

The walk up Peat Hill starts deceptively gentle. You leave Strathdon and head into the Cairngorms foothills, the path climbing steadily through moorland that shifts colour with the seasons - purple heather in late summer, rust-brown by autumn. It's not a brutal slog, but it's proper uphill work once you commit to it.

This is a walker's hill rather than a sightseeer's destination. The summit sits at 1,673 feet and the reward is uncluttered views across the Don Valley and into the heart of Aberdeenshire's mountain country. On a clear day you can pick out the Cairngorms ridge itself. The ground underfoot is boggy in places - hence the name - so decent boots aren't optional.

Allow three to four hours for a comfortable round trip from Strathdon. It's the sort of hill that appeals to serious walkers wanting something achievable without committing an entire day to a Cairngorms expedition. Families with older kids (say, ten plus) will manage it fine if everyone's reasonably fit, but younger children might find the moorland trudge tedious.

The proximity to Cairngorms Glamping & Campsite, just 3.8 miles away, makes this a natural pairing for a Highlands break. Bag the hill in the morning, return for lunch, explore the area afterwards. It's genuine hill country rather than honeypot tourism, which means fewer crowds and more honest views of what the Scottish uplands actually feel like.