Kypie Hill

The walk up Kypie Hill takes you out of Coldstream and into proper rolling borderland terrain. It's a straightforward climb - nothing technical, but steep enough in places to get your lungs working. The summit gives you views across the Tweed Valley that shift depending on the light and the season.

This is one for walkers rather than idle strollers. You're looking at a good two hours round trip from the car park, more if you're not particularly fit or you stop to take photographs. The path itself is reasonably well maintained, though it can be muddy after rain. On a clear day the visibility is excellent - you can pick out the Cheviot Hills to the south and the Southern Uplands rolling away to the west.

Families with teenagers will manage it fine. Younger kids might find the sustained uphill a bit much, depending on their legs and their patience. On a busy weekend, you'll often have the hill mostly to yourself, which is one of its genuine appeals.

If you're staying at Coldstream Holiday Park or Highburn House Caravan Park - both about six miles away - Kypie works as a half-day outing that doesn't require a long drive. Pair it with a walk round Coldstream itself or one of the other local peaks, and you've got a proper outdoors day. Free to access, naturally. Best tackled in the morning when the light is behind you looking south.