Carn na Coinnse

The walk up Carn na Coinnse from Grantown-on-Spey is a proper Highland jaunt without the crowds you'd find on bigger peaks. It's a modest hill by Scottish standards - nothing that demands mountaineering boots or an early start - but the views across the Cairngorms and down into Strathspey are genuinely worth the effort.

The approach is straightforward enough, taking you through mixed woodland before opening out onto moorland. On a clear day the visibility stretches for miles. The summit itself is unremarkable - bare ground and maybe a cairn - but that's rather the point. You're here for the perspective, not the destination Instagram moment.

Walkers with moderate fitness will find this rewarding. It's the sort of thing you can knock off in a morning or early afternoon without excessive huffing and puffing. Families with kids who've done a few hills will manage it comfortably, though younger children might need encouragement on the final push.

Time it for late spring through early autumn when the weather's most stable. Grantown-on-Spey itself is a proper town with decent facilities, and there's the caravan park just outside if you're based there for a few nights. It slots nicely into a broader Highland holiday - combine it with walks around the nearby parks and you've got good variety without driving miles between each outing.

Free to access, as you'd expect. Allow three hours return from the car park.