Pappert Hill

The walk up Pappert Hill rewards you with proper views across Loch Lomond and the Trossachs - on a clear day you can see right down the length of the loch towards Ben Lomond. It's not a massive summit, but the climb from Balloch is straightforward enough and takes about an hour to the top, longer if you're with kids or taking it leisurely.

What you're really after here is the vista. The hill itself is bare moorland with a few rocks at the peak, nothing fancy, but stand up there on a good afternoon and you understand why folk have tramped up here for centuries. The Loch Lomond area throws everything at you - water, mountains, woodland - and Pappert gives you the angle to see how it all fits together.

It works well as a half-day outing if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks like Loch Lomond Retreat or Lomond Woods. Families with decent walkers will manage it fine. Young kids might find the moorland a bit exposed and windswept, so pick a calm day. Allow a good three hours return including a sit-down at the top to eat your sandwiches. The walk is free, naturally - you just park near Balloch and head up.

Best visited in late spring or early autumn when the weather's more stable and you're not fighting Scottish midges. Winter can be bleak and boggy underfoot, summer tends to draw crowds.