Craig Dhu

The walk up Craig Dhu rewards you with proper views across Deeside, and it's one of those peaks that doesn't require a full day's commitment. Rising just over 300 metres above Aboyne, this isn't a gruelling slog - more a brisk hour's climb if you're reasonably fit, with a decent path most of the way up. The summit itself is modest but the panorama makes it worthwhile: you can see right across the Cairngorms on a clear day, and the villages scattered below give you a real sense of where you are.

Families with older kids will manage it fine; younger ones might find it a bit steep towards the top. Serious hillwalkers would probably do this as a warm-up or a quick filler between bigger peaks, but if you're on a caravan holiday in the area, it's exactly the sort of thing that breaks up a day without requiring kit or expertise. Go early morning or late afternoon when the light's best - the mid-day glare tends to flatten everything. Weather matters here like everywhere in the Highlands, so check conditions before setting out.

Stay at Firbank Park or Aboyne Loch Caravan Park and you're barely twenty minutes from the trailhead. Both parks are well-reviewed and make excellent bases for exploring Deeside. The walk works year-round, though it's slippiest underfoot in winter. Free, obviously - just turn up.