Cairndoor Hill

The walk up Cairndoor Hill rewards you with proper Highland views without requiring a full day's commitment. Starting from near Ballater, it's a straightforward climb that takes most walkers around two hours up and back down, making it ideal if you're camping at Howe of Torbeg or one of the other parks nearby and want to stretch your legs without disappearing into the hills for eight hours.

On a clear day the summit opens up views across the Cairngorms - you get a real sense of the landscape's scale and emptiness. The path itself is well-trodden and fairly obvious, though it's steep enough to make you work for it. Not technical climbing by any means, just relentless gradient that'll have you breathing hard near the top.

It's the sort of walk that suits families with older kids and anyone after a quick Highland fix without the Alpine Club commitment. Bring decent boots though - it's boggy in places, particularly after rain, and the ground underfoot can be proper treacherous. Ballater sits at the foot of the hill and has cafes where you can recover afterwards, which is the civilised way to end a walk.

Timing-wise, aim for the morning if the forecast looks dodgy. The weather rolls in fast up here. And don't bother in heavy mist - you'll climb blind and miss everything that makes it worthwhile. Cairngorms Glamping is only five miles away if you want to combine it with other walks in the area. Free to climb, naturally - it's a Scottish hill, not a theme park.