Carn a' Choire Mhoir

The walk up Carn a' Choire Mhoir won't take you long, but the views south towards the Monadhliath mountains make the effort worthwhile. It's a modest Highland peak that sits well within reach of Inverness - about an hour's drive if you're based near the city - and offers proper mountain scenery without requiring technical skills or a dawn start.

The ascent is straightforward enough. You're looking at a couple of hours up and down, with a decent path for most of the way, though it gets rougher the higher you climb. On a clear day the visibility is excellent, and you get genuine Highland character without the crowds you'd find on Ben Nevis or the Cairngorms.

Walkers will find this most rewarding. It's not a casual stroll, and young children might struggle with the gradient towards the summit, but anyone with reasonable fitness and proper boots will manage fine. History buffs won't find much of note here - this is about landscape rather than stories.

Timing matters. Go midweek in summer if you want to avoid other hikers, and aim for morning starts when the cloud tends to sit lower on the nearby peaks. Winter transforms it entirely - crampons become essential and the route demands proper mountain experience.

If you're staying at Tomatin Glamping Pods nearby, this makes a cracking half-day outing. It's the sort of walk that reminds you why people come to the Highlands - accessible, dramatic, and never crowded.