Windgate Bank

The walk up Windgate Bank rewards you with views across the South Lanarkshire moorland that feel properly expansive. It's not a dramatic peak - we're talking 570-odd metres - but the ascent from near Biggar is straightforward enough and the trig point at the top sits in genuine isolation. On a clear day you can see for miles across the rolling landscape.

This is walker territory, plain and simple. The path is well-defined but boggy in patches, so decent boots matter. Allow a couple of hours for the full round trip if you're not rushing. You won't find facilities or much fanfare at the summit - it's refreshingly bare of the usual peak baggers' nonsense.

If you're staying at Mount View Caravan Park nearby, Windgate Bank works as a proper half-day adventure without the drive hassle. It's the sort of walk that feels like you've done something real without eating up your entire morning. Families with teenagers will manage it fine; younger kids might find the boggy bits tedious. History buffs won't get much out of it - this is pure landscape walking.

Go midweek if possible to dodge weekenders, and pick your weather carefully. When the cloud's down, the views collapse to nothing and it becomes a trudge. The moorland has a bleak appeal that some find haunting, others find dreary. Make your peace with that before you start.