Flecket Hill

The walk up Flecket Hill near Moffat takes about two hours and rewards you with proper views across the Lowlands - on a clear day you can see right across to the Southern Uplands. It's not dramatic in the Alpine sense, but there's something satisfying about Scottish hills that don't announce themselves. The summit itself is boggy and exposed, so waterproofs aren't optional even when it looks fine in town.

This is squarely a walkers' hill. Families with younger kids might find the return journey tedious, though determined eight-year-olds would manage it. History types won't find much at the top - it's the landscape that talks here, rolling moorland and distant forestry blocks rather than ruins or monuments. On a weekday you'll likely have it to yourself, which is half the appeal.

It's a free walk, starting from accessible parking nearby. Allow three hours for a steady pace with a breather at the top. Go in autumn or early summer when the bog is at least drier and the midges less ambitious. Winter ascents are doable but need proper kit.

Stay at one of the caravan sites within five miles of Moffat - Howslack Farm or Riverside Holiday Park put you within easy reach - and you can combine this with the town's other walks and the A708 scenic drive. It's the kind of hill that doesn't draw crowds, which is exactly why it's worth doing.