Ben Shieldaig

The walk up Ben Shieldaig is a proper Highland slog, but it's one of those climbs that doesn't overstay its welcome. Starting near Strathcarron, you're looking at a steady ascent through rough moorland to just over 300 metres, which sounds modest until you're breathing hard in the wind.

What makes it worth the effort is the view across Loch Carron and out towards the Applecross Peninsula. On a clear day - and you need a clear day for this one - it's expansive without being showy. The summit feels genuinely wild, not some sanitised peak experience. You'll spot red squirrels lower down if you're lucky, and the light changes completely as you climb higher.

Allow a couple of hours return, including time to sit about and take it in. It's not technical climbing, just relentlessly uphill on the way out. Families with walkers aged 10 and up will manage it fine; younger kids might find it tedious unless they're already keen hillwalkers. The wind can be proper fierce even on calmer days.

If you're based at Shieldaig Camping & Cabins just down the road, it's an obvious morning mission. Combine it with the coastal scenery around Loch Carron and you've got a decent day out. Go early - parking is tight and the weather turns quickly. Start in autumn or spring when the midges aren't out in force.