Airds Hill

The walk up Airds Hill from Appin takes roughly an hour and rewards you with proper Highland views across Loch Linnhe and out towards the islands. It's not a slog - the path is straightforward enough, though the final push gets steep enough to make you feel like you've earned the summit. The real magic happens when you reach the top. On a clear day, you can see across to Morven and Ben Vair, and the whole sweep of the loch spreads out below you like a map someone's unfolded.

Walkers will get the most from this one. There's nothing fancy at the summit - no cairn to speak of, no tea van - just the landscape. That's precisely the point. Families with reasonably capable kids (say eight upwards) will manage it fine, though the descent can be murder on the knees if you're not used to it. The whole outing takes two to three hours depending on pace.

Best tackled early morning when there's fewer folk about and the light's decent. No facilities on the hill itself, so bring water. If you're based at one of the nearby parks - Creagan Station Tourers is barely two and a half miles away, or Oban Camping and Caravanning Club Site just a bit further - this makes a cracking morning's work before heading into Oban for lunch. Airds Hill doesn't demand your entire day, which is actually rather refreshing.