Thistle Hill

The walk up Thistle Hill rewards you with proper Yorkshire moorland views across the Harrogate area. It's not a dramatic peak - more of a substantial bump on the landscape - but on a clear day the visibility stretches far enough to make the effort worthwhile. From the top you get sight lines across to the surrounding fells, and on your way up you'll pass through the kind of mixed terrain that makes North Yorkshire walking so satisfying: patches of heather, rough grass, the occasional rocky outcrop.

This one suits walkers far more than families with young kids. It's not a pushchair job, and there's nothing at the summit itself - no cafe, no stone cairn, no novelty factor. What you get is the walk itself and decent views if the weather cooperates. Allow a couple of hours there and back depending on your pace and which approach you take.

If you're based at Harrogate Caravan Park or Rudding Holiday Park - both just a couple of miles away - Thistle Hill works as a morning sortie before heading into Harrogate town for lunch. It's the kind of walk that clears your head without eating your whole day. Worth doing if you're already in the area and the forecast is decent, but don't plan your holiday around it.