Barr Hill

The walk up Barr Hill rewards you with a proper panorama across Loch Fyne and the surrounding Argyll hills. It's not a dramatic peak - you're looking at around 600 metres - but the route from Tarbert is straightforward enough that most reasonably fit walkers can knock it out in an afternoon without drama.

The view from the top opens up nicely on a clear day, with the loch snaking away below and the Cowal peninsula rising opposite. You get a real sense of why this landscape matters - you can trace the geography of Argyll in a way you simply can't from the road. The walk itself takes about two hours return from Tarbert town, depending on your pace and how often you stop for breath.

Families with older kids will manage fine, though younger ones might find it a bit of a slog without the promise of a summit shop or café. It's genuinely worth doing if you're staying at The Gather or Tarbert Holiday Park - both are well positioned for this kind of half-day adventure. Don't bother in thick cloud, mind. The views are the whole point, and without them you're just plodding up a hillside.

Go on a weekday if you can. Weekends bring the inevitable Glaswegians out for their constitutional, but the hill absorbs them well enough. Bring decent boots - it can get boggy in patches - and allow a full three hours if you're taking it leisurely.