Moel Druman

The walk up Moel Druman doesn't announce itself as anything grand - it's a straightforward hill above Blaenau Ffestiniog that rewards you with proper views across the slate valleys and down towards Snowdonia. The route itself is manageable rather than strenuous, making it genuinely accessible to families and anyone after a couple of hours in the hills without needing fell-running fitness.

What you get is the landscape that built this corner of North Wales. From the top, you're looking across quarry scars and green slopes, the industrial heritage of the slate industry visible in the land itself. It's honest terrain - not manicured, occasionally boggy, and all the better for it. The walk takes roughly two hours there and back depending on your pace, and you'll see far fewer people than on the overcrowded Snowdon routes.

This works perfectly as part of a wider Gwynedd camping trip. You're close enough to Llechwedd Glamping at Plas Weunydd to make it a morning stroll before breakfast, or a sunset walk if you're based at Llyn Gwynant or Bryn Dinas further afield. The nearby campsites at Cae Du and Beddgelert give you options if you're building a longer week around Snowdonia's quieter edges.

Go on a clear day - the views evaporate entirely in cloud, and you'll just be trudging uphill through mist. Anytime between late spring and early autumn works well. Bring decent boots; the ground gets soggy even when the sky's blue.