Ayton Hill

The walk up Ayton Hill rewards you with views across the Scottish Borders that justify the climb. It's not a difficult ascent from the village of Ayton, south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, but it's steep enough in places to make you work for those vistas. On a clear day you can see right across to the Cheviot Hills and down towards the coast.

This is proper walker territory. It takes about an hour to get up and down at a reasonable pace, and the path is generally clear underfoot, though it can be boggy after rain. Families with older kids will manage it fine; younger ones might find it a bit of a grind. History enthusiasts will appreciate the Bronze Age cairn near the summit - evidence that people have been clambering up here for thousands of years.

There's no visitor infrastructure to speak of, so bring water and decent footwear. The whole thing is free and entirely on your own schedule. Early morning is best if you want to avoid the afternoon mist that rolls in from the coast.

If you're based at one of the caravan sites near Berwick - Haven Berwick Holiday Centre or Chainbridge Touring Caravan Site are both close by - this makes a cracking morning outing before heading into town for lunch. It's the kind of walk that leaves you properly tired in the best way, and gives you something solid to show for your effort.