Tom's Cairn

The cairn itself is modest - a pile of stones marking a summit that doesn't announce itself loudly. Tom's Cairn sits at around 1,200 feet in the hills west of Banchory, and the real draw is the walk to get there rather than what you find at the top.

This is proper hiking territory. The approach takes you through mixed woodland and moorland, with the terrain ramping up noticeably in the final stretch. Count on two hours there and back, longer if you're with kids or taking time to catch your breath. The views across Deeside open up as you climb - nothing dramatic like the Cairngorms further west, but solid, rolling Highland landscape that makes the effort worthwhile.

Walkers will get the most from this. It's the kind of unassuming peak that appeals to people who actually want to walk rather than pose for photos. Families with energetic teenagers could manage it; younger children might find the steady grind tedious. The summit itself lacks shelter, so weather planning is essential - I'd avoid it on heavy rain days when the path gets boggy.

There's no visitor centre or facilities at the cairn - it's free and unmanned, as these things tend to be in rural Aberdeenshire. The nearby caravan parks at Feughside and Banchory Lodge make reasonable bases for exploring the area, though neither is particularly close. The real appeal is that it's quiet. No crowds, no gift shop, just a good Scottish hill walk.