Kentstone Hill

The walk up Kentstone Hill takes you proper high - not Ben Nevis high, but high enough that Berwick-upon-Tweed shrinks into a toy town below. It's a straightforward pull from the surrounding farmland, the sort of walk that feels longer than it looks on the map but rewards you halfway up when the views start opening out across the Northumberland borderlands.

You're looking at maybe forty minutes to the summit if you're taking it easy, longer if you dawdle (which you will). The peak itself is modest - windswept, usually, with that particular Scottish Border harshness to the air - but the sightlines are enormous. On a clear day you can pick out the coast curving away towards Dunnet Head. Walkers will find their money's worth here without question. Families with older kids who don't mind a bit of graft will enjoy it too, though younger ones might struggle with the sustained climb and the lack of much to actually do once you're up there.

Based near Berwick, it slots perfectly into a longer walk circuit, or as a morning outing before heading to one of the nearby holiday parks. Haven Haggerston Castle is just up the road at 1.4 miles, and Pot-A-Doodle Do sits a bit further out if you're after something with more of a campsite feel. The hill itself is free - no gatekeepers, no nonsense - which means you can simply turn up and go when conditions look decent. Worth it for the effort. Not worth it if you're expecting manicured paths or facilities.