Foel Ddu

The walk up Foel Ddu from Dolgellau is proper straightforward - no scrambling, no technical nonsense, just a steady climb through moorland that rewards you with views across the Cader Idris range. Takes about an hour and a half return, which means you won't be knackered but you will have earned your lunch.

What you get at the top is honest rather than dramatic. The summit cairn sits at 863 metres, and on a clear day you can see right across to Snowdon and down towards the Mawddach estuary. On a mediocre day - and there are plenty of those in North Wales - you'll get mist and you'll get clouds. That's just how it goes up here.

Walkers will get the most from this one, families with young kids might find the ascent a bit relentless. History types won't find much at the peak itself, but Dolgellau itself is worth poking around after - proper medieval market town with genuine character.

If you're camping locally - Graig Wen and Torrent Walk are both within an easy drive - Foel Ddu makes a solid half-day outing. Combine it with a ramble around the Mawddach estuary and you've got yourself a proper day out. It's free to walk, naturally, and there's parking near the trailhead. Go in the morning before the clouds roll in.